10 verified short-term rentals rules for Auburn, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Auburn requires a zoning approval plus a business license before any short-term rental operates. A homestay (owner's residence) needs a Home Occupation Permit; a short-term non-primary rental (an investment property leased entirely for stays under 30 days) needs a Zoning Certificate under Zoning Ordinance Section 408.02.D.6.
Auburn's short-term rental section sets no decibel or quiet-hour standard of its own. It limits rentals to lodging and bans events, and gives the Planning Director power to revoke a non-primary rental's zoning certificate after two substantiated complaints in a calendar year - the main lever the city uses against noise and disturbances.
Short-term rentals owe Auburn's 7% city lodging tax on stays under 180 continuous days, plus Alabama's 4% state lodgings tax in Lee County. The city short-term rental business license fee is a quarter of 1% of gross receipts (multiplied by .0025), with a $100 minimum for both rental categories.
Auburn's short-term rental section (Section 408.02.D.6) sets no rental-specific off-street parking ratio. Homestays and non-primary rentals rely on the dwelling's existing off-street parking under the underlying residential and zoning standards. The city's separate Bed and Breakfast Inn rule, by contrast, requires one extra parking space per guest room.
Auburn's short-term rental ordinance does not publish a fixed maximum number of guests. Instead, Section 408.02.D.6 limits use of a non-primary rental to lodging (eating and sleeping) and provides that only the registered or contracted guests may use the unit, with no events. Practical occupancy follows building, fire and dwelling standards.
Auburn's short-term rental ordinance does not impose a specific liability-insurance mandate or minimum coverage amount on operators. The published requirements center on zoning approval, the business license, lodging taxes and the 240-day cap. Hosts are still encouraged to carry adequate liability coverage, but no city minimum is set in the ordinance.
Auburn caps short-term non-primary rentals at 240 days of operation each calendar year under Zoning Ordinance Section 408.02.D.6.a. Each rental is for stays of less than 30 consecutive days. The annual day limit is one of the strictest features of Auburn's program and is tied to the renewable yearly zoning certificate.
Registration is a two-step city process. Operators first secure a Home Occupation Permit (homestay) or Zoning Certificate (non-primary rental) from Planning Services, submitting the application with a deed or notarized letter, then obtain a short-term rental business license from the Revenue Office. The zoning certificate runs for one calendar year.
Auburn does not require a host to be present during stays. The category itself sets occupancy: a homestay is the owner's permanent residence rented as lodging, while a short-term non-primary rental is a whole dwelling the owner does not live in. Non-primary rentals are limited to lodging use, with only registered or contracted guests permitted.
Auburn does not limit short-term rentals to primary residences. It defines two categories: a homestay, which is the owner's permanent residence, and a short-term non-primary rental, which is expressly an investment property that is not a permanent residence. Non-primary rentals are allowed, but capped at 240 operating days a year.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Auburn city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Lee County →