11 verified short-term rentals rules for Mobile, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Mobile requires STR operators to obtain a city business license. The initial application fee is approximately $150. Operators must designate a local responsible party available 24/7. STRs are defined as stays under 180 consecutive days.
STR guests in Mobile must comply with the city's decibel-based noise ordinance. The strict 50 dBA nighttime limit (10 PM–6 AM) effectively requires quiet behavior. Operators must inform guests of noise rules.
Mobile STR operators must collect and remit the city's lodging tax on all short-term rental bookings. Alabama state lodging tax and Mobile County taxes also apply.
Mobile applies standard residential parking rules to STR properties. No STR-specific parking requirements exist. Guest vehicles must comply with city street parking regulations.
Mobile limits short-term rental occupancy based on bedroom count to prevent overcrowding in residential neighborhoods near downtown, Midtown, and Mardi Gras parade routes where party-house complaints recur each season.
Short-term rental operators in Mobile must carry liability coverage that names the city or demonstrates platform-provided host protection, ensuring guests and neighbors have recourse when accidents, fires, or injuries occur on the property.
Some Mobile residential overlays cap the number of nights a non-owner-occupied short-term rental can host paying guests each year, balancing tourism revenue with neighborhood stability in historic and primarily residential districts.
Every short-term rental in Mobile must have a designated local contact reachable around the clock who can respond in person within a defined window when complaints, lockouts, or emergencies arise at the property.
Mobile distinguishes owner-occupied short-term rentals from non-owner-occupied investor rentals, with stricter standards in residential zones to preserve neighborhood character around historic districts like Oakleigh and De Tonti Square.
Mobile uses an escalating strike system for short-term rental violations, where confirmed offenses within a rolling twelve-month window stack toward suspension and revocation, with a typical three-strike cap for serious nuisance complaints.
Mobile expects short-term rental listings to display the city permit number on Airbnb, Vrbo, and similar platforms, and may pursue platforms that knowingly host unpermitted units, though Alabama state law limits direct platform mandates.
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Mobile city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Mobile County →