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Short-Term Rentals in Auburn, AL (2026)

9 verified short-term rentals rules for Auburn, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Short-Term Rental Permits

Operating a short-term non-primary rental in Auburn requires a zoning certificate under Section 408.02(D)(6), valid only through December 31 of the year it's issued, capped at 240 operating days a year, and revocable by the Planning Director after two substantiated complaints in a calendar year.

Auburn Requires Zoning Certificate For STRs

Significant Restrictions

Zoning Ordinance § 408.02(D)(6)(a)-(c)

A short-term non-primary rental shall be limited in operation to 240 days each calendar year. Each zoning certificate for a short-term non-primary rental will be valid from January 1 (or such other date during a calendar on which such certificate is issued) through December 31 of the calendar year in which the certificate is issued. A zoning certificate for a short-term non-primary rental may b...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Auburn regulates short-term homestays as home occupations, and Section 511.04.B.11 of the Zoning Ordinance bars any home occupation, including a homestay, from generating noise, traffic, glare, odors, or other nuisances beyond what a residential neighborhood normally experiences or that reach past the property line. The Planning Director can inspect and enforce.

Auburn Homestay Noise and Nuisance Limits

Some Restrictions

Zoning Ordinance § 511.04.B.11

The operation of a home occupation shall not create any nuisance such as excessive traffic, on-street parking, noise, vibration, glare, odors, fumes, smoke, dust, heat, fire hazards, electrical interference or fluctuation inline voltage, or hazards to any greater extent than that normally experienced in the residential neighborhood, or be present or noticeable beyond the property boundaries of ...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Taxes & Fees

Auburn taxes short-term rentals and homestays through Category 21 of its business license schedule: an annual license fee equal to one-fourth of one percent of gross receipts, with a $100 minimum, covering both short-term non-primary rentals and homestays as those terms are defined in the Zoning Ordinance.

Auburn Short-Term Rental Business License Fee

Some Restrictions

Auburn, AL Code of Ordinances § 12-17(b), Category 21

Category 21: Short Term Rental An annual business license fee is hereby fixed at an amount equal to a percentage of gross receipts set at one-fourth (¼) of one per cent (gross receipts multiplied by .0025), provided that the minimum business license fee shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00) for businesses that fall into one of the following categories: 1.Short term non-primary rentala.As def...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Auburn requires off-street parking for most home occupations, but homestays get an exception: on-street parking is allowed for guests only when off-street parking cannot be accommodated on the property.

Auburn Homestay Parking: On-Street Allowed

Light Restrictions

Auburn, AL Zoning Ordinance § 511.04(B)(10)

10. With the exception of homestays, off-street parking shall be provided on the premises, as required by Section 513. Parking in connection with homestays may use available on-street parking areas, only when off-street parking cannot be accommodated.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Night Caps

Auburn limits any whole-unit short-term rental that isn't the owner's residence to 240 days of operation per calendar year. Section 408.02.D.6.a of the Zoning Ordinance calls this use a "Short-Term Non-Primary Rental" and caps it at that annual total, separate from the owner-occupied homestay rules.

Auburn 240-Day Cap on Non-Primary Rentals

Some Restrictions

Zoning Ordinance § 408.02.D.6.a

A short-term non-primary rental shall be limited in operation to 240 days each calendar year.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

Auburn's homestay rule ties directly to whether the owner is present. Section 511.04(b) of the Zoning Ordinance caps a homestay at 90 days per licensing year when the owner is not present, meaning extended unhosted stays are only allowed up to that limit before the operation exceeds what the permit covers.

Auburn Homestay Owner-Absence Day Limit

Some Restrictions

Zoning Ordinance § 511.04(b)

The homestay may operate no more than ninety (90) days per licensing year when the owner is not present.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

A homestay in Auburn can only operate if the owner actually lives there most of the year. Section 511.04(d) of the Zoning Ordinance requires the owner to occupy the dwelling as a residence for more than 180 days during each licensing year the home occupation permit is valid.

Auburn Homestay Owner-Occupancy Requirement

Some Restrictions

Zoning Ordinance § 511.04(d)

Each home occupation for a homestay will be valid from January 1 (or such other date during a calendar on which such home occupation for a homestay is issued) through December 31 of the calendar year in which the home occupation for a homestay is issued. During this period of validity, the owner of the homestay must occupy the dwelling as his or her residence for more than 180 days.
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Extended Home Share

Auburn allows homeowners to share their residence with paying guests only through the "homestay" home occupation defined in Section 511.04, not as an unrestricted short-term rental. A homestay may only be established in specific zoning districts and only where the owner continues to use the dwelling as a residence.

Auburn Homestay Home-Sharing Zoning Rule

Some Restrictions

Zoning Ordinance § 511.04(a)

Homestays may only be established as a home occupation business in the following zoning districts: Comprehensive Development District (CDD), Corridor Redevelopment District-Urban, -Suburban, -East and -West (CRD-U, CRD-S, CRD-E, CRD-W*), Medium Density Residential District (MDRD), Neighborhood Redevelopment District (NRD*), Redevelopment District (RDD), Rural District (R), Urban Core (UC)/Colle...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Repeat Violator Strikes

Auburn doesn't wait for a long enforcement history before pulling a short-term rental permit. Section 511.04(e) of the Zoning Ordinance lets the Planning Director revoke a homestay's home occupation approval once the City receives two or more substantiated complaints against it within a single calendar year.

Auburn Two-Complaint Homestay Revocation Rule

Significant Restrictions

Zoning Ordinance § 511.04(e)

A home occupation for a homestay may be revoked by the Planning Director (i) in the event that two (2) or more substantiated complaints are received by the City within a calendar year, or (ii) for failure to maintain compliance with any of the regulations set forth within this section. A property owner whose home occupation for a homestay has been revoked pursuant to this paragraph shall not be...
Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Looking for Lee County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Auburn city rules.

Short-Term Rentals in Lee County →