6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Madison County, Alabama.
Verified from official government sources
Alabama requires no statewide short-term rental permit, and unincorporated Madison County requires no STR license. A host needs a county business license, must meet the zoning district's use rules, and must register for lodgings tax.
Short-term rental guests in unincorporated Madison County must obey the county noise ordinance like anyone else: sound under 85 decibels by day and 75 decibels after 11 p.m. under Ala. Code §45-45-174.
Ala. Code §45-45-174
(a) In Madison County, the Madison County Commission may enact a noise ordinance for the areas outside of the corporate limits of any municipality and may provide that a violation of the ordinance constitutes a public nuisance subject to a civil fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) per day to be assessed as provided in the ordinance. Any law enforcement officer or constable may i...
Short-term rentals in Madison County owe Alabama's 5% state lodgings tax under Ala. Code §40-26-1, because the county sits in the mountain-lakes region, plus Madison County and city lodgings taxes. Stays of 180 continuous days or more are exempt.
Ala. Code §40-26-1
There is levied and imposed, in addition to all other taxes of every kind now imposed by law, a privilege or license tax upon every person, firm, or corporation engaging in the business of renting or furnishing any room or rooms, lodging, or accommodations to transients ... in any county which is located in the geographic region comprising the Alabama mountain lakes area, those being Blount, Ch...
No Alabama statute and no Madison County rule set short-term rental parking. Guests park on-site or on the road, limited only by the property's zoning, HOA covenants, and any city permit.
No Alabama statute and no Madison County ordinance cap short-term rental occupancy. The practical ceiling is the property's septic system, sized under Alabama Department of Public Health rules, plus any HOA limit.
Alabama sets no short-term rental insurance mandate, and unincorporated Madison County requires none. Coverage is a private matter: platform host protection plus a landlord or STR policy, since homeowner policies exclude rental activity.
2 cities in Madison County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Madison County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Madison County Ordinance Hub →