Senior Living Apartments in Scottsdale, AZ

If you’re looking to make the move to a senior apartment in Scottsdale, you might be wondering about how you can finance your stay.

First, it’s helpful to note that because senior apartments don’t provide health care services (like meals or personal care), they’re not directly covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or long-term care insurance. However, you might find that these services will cover medically necessary care within your place of residence. This is true even when you’re living in a senior apartment.

In the tabs that follow, you’ll find information about the different ways to pay for senior apartments — private pay, public housing assistance, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, Medicare, and Medicaid — so you can find the payment option that’s right for you.

Arizona’s senior apartments are responsible for aligning with the regulations any regular apartment complex should adhere to (think timely maintenance and repairing things that could put tenants at risk). Below, we’ll cover some of the laws and regulations Scottsdale’s senior apartments are responsible for following.

Age and income limits

Potential residents should note that senior apartments require their tenants to be a specific age before they can live there. This is usually 55 or older, but this number might be higher at individual complexes. Likewise, certain senior apartments have specific income requirements to ensure that lower-income seniors still have affordable and acceptable senior housing options.

Licensing and inspection requirements

When it comes to licensing, any property manager must have a real estate license from Arizona in order to manage residential or commercial properties for their owners. Additionally, Scottsdale’s senior apartments may undergo one of four types of inspections to ensure compliance with the city’s housing quality standards:

• Initial inspection: This type of inspection is performed on vacant units before a tenant moves in. The inspection covers a building’s exterior, plumbing, heating and cooling, exits, and individual rooms to ensure everything is safe and suitable for move-in.
• Annual inspection: This yearly inspection is meant to ensure that tenants and landlords alike are complying with quality standards for housing. If a unit happens to fail this inspection, the landlord is responsible for conducting repairs by a specific deadline.
• Special inspection: A special inspection is conducted when a tenant or landlord requests an inspection on a particular part of a unit.
• Quality-control inspection: Ordered at the discretion of the ​​Scottsdale Housing Agency, this type of inspection is meant to ensure properties follow quality standards.

You can search for and view building permits through this portal.

Maintenance and safety laws in Arizona

Under Arizona law, landlords must meet the following requirements:

• Align with local building and health code requirements regarding home conditions.
• Conduct any necessary repairs required to ensure the home is livable.
• Ensure common areas are clean and safe for residents.
• Make sure electrical, plumbing, sanitation, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and other facilities and appliances are safe and functional.
• Provide containers for trash and ensure this material is picked up.
• Provide running water and hot water, heating, and air conditioning or cooling (unless the landlord controls the services exclusively and they’re supplied by a public utility).

Tenants may access Arizona’s handbook on tenants’ rights and responsibilities for more information. Among other topics, this guide shares helpful information surrounding lease agreements, security deposits, rent payments, and evictions.

Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act compliance

All senior apartments in Arizona must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires accessibility features for those with disabilities. These features might include ramps as well as accessible entrances, common areas, and bathrooms.

These communities must also comply with the federal government’s Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination based on an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and familial status. In the context of senior apartments, this means seniors are unable to be denied this type of housing due to their age. Likewise, senior apartment communities must be able to make reasonable accommodations for those living with disabilities, and they must accommodate seniors with service and emotional support animals — even if the apartment does not regularly allow pets.

A specific list of actions prohibited under the Fair Housing Act in Arizona is available here.

Requirements specific to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Senior apartments that accept Housing Choice vouchers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) must comply with a special set of regulations set forth by HUD itself. Among other regulations, these include requirements surrounding safety of buildings, limits on rent, and tenant eligibility requirements.

Arizona Department of Health contact information
150 N. 18th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-542-1025
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

COVID-19 regulations for Scottsdale senior apartments communities

Scottsdale’s senior apartments don’t have any specific regulations related to COVID-19. However, Scottsdale itself has published a list of guidelines helpful in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and Arizona’s Department of Health Services (DHS) keeps up to date with guidance from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention as well as publishing its own set of suggestions.

What is it like to live in one of Scottsdale’s senior apartments? Even though your experience may vary depending on the specific community you move into, you’ll find that the market offers its seniors a variety of perks — from convenient services to high-end offerings — in a stunning desert setting. In this section, you’ll find more specific information about what you can expect from Scottsdale’s senior apartment market.

A seamless way to age

Because they provide a more seamless and more convenient lifestyle for older active individuals, Scottsdale senior apartments are suited to folks who are looking to take unnecessary pressures off themselves following retirement while being surrounded by their peers. Senior apartments include helpful amenities and services that ensure a low-pressure lifestyle for seniors. Generally, these include perks such as included utilities, landscaping, home maintenance, and community security. Depending on the facility, Scottsdale’s senior apartments may also offer convenient features such as furnished units, maid services, breakfasts and coffee, concierge services, resident markets, and beauticians.

All in all, active seniors living in these communities can have more of their needs taken care of so they can spend more time doing what they love (or catching up on much-needed rest and relaxation!).

No shortage of luxury offerings

Scottsdale itself is known for its wide array of luxury lifestyle offerings, and some of the area’s senior apartments are no different.

Many facilities include a pool, jacuzzi, and even a spa, which function as much-needed respites from a warm desert landscape. But more active and energetic seniors shouldn’t fret: The area’s senior apartments often include a variety of exciting ways for seniors to exercise and maintain their fitness levels, from tennis and bocce courts to on-site walking and biking trails.

Of course, the interiors of Scottsdale’s senior apartments can be equally as luxurious. Depending on the individual community, senior apartment complexes feature amenities such as transportation, full kitchens, clubhouses, pet play areas, business centers and corporate suites, sundecks, picnic areas, movie theaters, fitness centers, and private patios and balconies.

Senior apartments in the surrounding Scottsdale suburbs

A smaller locale, Scottsdale is surrounded on all sides by a variety of different types of cities — from the bustling city of Phoenix to sleepier enclaves and suburbs. There are a few senior apartments partnered with A Place for Mom in these surrounding areas, allowing older individuals to live in an area that aligns with their preferences while not straying too far from everything they enjoy in Scottsdale.

Within a 25-mile radius of downtown Scottsdale, A Place for Mom partners with three senior apartment communities. One offers senior apartments alone, but the remaining two communities offer a combination of senior apartments and independent living. Because independent living is more high-touch, these communities make especially great choices for seniors who are unsure of the scope of amenities and services they might need.^[02]

Health care for seniors in Scottsdale

Scottsdale is home to renowned, high-performing medical facilities that specialize in a variety of procedures and care types. We’ll share more about these hospitals within this section.

Transportation for seniors in Scottsdale

When you’re moving around town in Scottsdale, it’s generally easier to do so by car.

The overall walk score of Scottsdale is 32 out of 100,^[06] meaning that though there is some infrastructure that supports walkers, it’s far easier to carry out your errands with four wheels. However, there are exceptions to this: Scottsdale’s more walkable neighborhoods include the downtown area, Scottsdale Estates, and Southwest Village.

The city has minimal public transit. Scored at a 23 out of 100, you can catch a bus in Scottsdale — but getting from point A to point B by relying on public transportation may prove difficult. Scottsdale offers transit via its trolley system, and the city is also served by metropolitan Phoenix’s Valley Metro system, which operates buses, a light rail system, streetcars, and paratransit services. Trolley service is free, operates on a 20-minute frequency, and runs Monday through Friday from 5:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. On Valley Metro, a one-way fare costs $2. However, there is a discount available for seniors 65-plus, Medicare recipients, and people with disabilities.

Bicyclists will feel right at home in Scottsdale. Due to its abundance of recreational bike paths as well as cross-city biking options, The League of American Bicyclists awarded the city “Gold Level Bicycle Friendly” status.

The following rankings come from Walk Score. Each score is ranked out of 100 and rates how easy it is to get around Scottsdale using that method of transportation:

Senior activities in Scottsdale

Balancing expansive natural beauty with a heavy dose of local arts and culture — and senior friendliness to boot — it’s no mystery why so many seniors choose to live out their golden years in Scottsdale.

Located on the northern edges of the Sonoran Desert, Scottsdale also happens to be home to a host of refreshing outdoor activities. Seniors who enjoy being active outside can take advantage of the city’s public pickleball and tennis courts and swimming pools, and then end the day with a picnic amidst 17 acres of greenery at Cactus Park.

More outdoorsy seniors who are eager to explore the desert could opt instead to go to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, a permanently protected habitat featuring multi-use trails. While the Pinnacle Peak trail offers up a solid four miles for active seniors, the Tom’s Thumb Trail is a rugged, yet popular trail for more seasoned adventurers. Just remember to wear sunscreen and bring lots of water along!

Of course, you don’t have to hike through the desert to enjoy the beauty of nature here. Troon North Golf Club provides scenic views that are difficult for golfers to get anywhere else.

Looking for something similar to do with the grandkids? Scottsdale has a handful of impressive options. Scottsdale’s Butterfly Wonderland is the largest butterfly conservatory in the country, and the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center offers family-friendly tours by appointment. Kids and adults alike are also sure to enjoy the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park — it’s an amusement park-museum hybrid that explores the history of trains and railroads. If the family is more interested in sports than railroads or animals, though, you could take everyone to a spring training session for the San Francisco Giants right at Scottsdale Stadium.

If you’re not wanting to spend too much time in the desert heat, there’s no need to worry. Scottsdale is home to plenty of indoor activities that are just as engaging, and educational experiences abound. The OdySea Aquarium features both impressive marine galleries and immersive tours, and it features ample indoor seating. On the arts and culture side, Scottsdale is home to Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter abode: Taliesin West. Tour guides can be booked at this estate, but there are also audio tours available for those who prefer to go at their own pace. And if you’re a fan of beautiful architecture, you might also enjoy the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, which also features architectural pieces as well as other works of art and design.

Looking to learn a little bit more about the region you’re in? Western Spirit is a Smithsonian Affiliate, and it offers up knowledge on all things Western and Indigenous culture. Automotive fans will also want to head to Penske’s Racing Museum, which features an impressive array of vehicles, trophies, and racing memorabilia. Once you’ve ended your day of learning, though, be sure to head out to either Scottsdale Fashion Square, an outdoor dining and shopping mall, or Old Town Scottsdale, an Old West-themed shopping and dining center featuring many locally owned boutiques and restaurants.

If you prefer more of a night out on the town, you’re in luck. The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts frequently hosts world-class comedians, plays, and musical artists, and the Desert Stages Theatre specializes in plays and musicals. You can also try for the jackpot or hedge your bets at Talking Stick Resort Casino, a top-rated gambling choice in the Scottsdale area.

There’s also a variety of options for individuals looking for more senior-oriented fun. Besides providing services, resources, and programs for Scottsdale’s senior residents and boasting 13 multipurpose rooms, the Granite Reef Senior Center hosts recreational activities like Mah Jong, chair exercise, friendship discussion groups, and karaoke. The Via Linda Senior Center is another option for seniors looking to get social: It has a fitness center perfect for active seniors, and it also has a variety of activities, from daily games of Bridge to free art workshops offered by local experts.