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.
Permit numbers must appear in each listing title or description so the city can audit by scraping public listings. Hosts found advertising without a permit number receive cease-and-desist notices, and continued violations escalate to fines per day the listing remains live. Alabama Dillon's Rule limits Mobile's authority to compel platforms directly, so enforcement focuses on hosts. Platforms that voluntarily cooperate may receive shared data feeds; non-cooperating platforms see complaints routed through state regulators.
Listings without a visible permit number, or post-revocation listings, generate daily fines and removal demands sent to the host and platform.
See how Mobile's host platform liability rules stack up against other locations.
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