Dothan, AL Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Dothan's short-term rental ordinance, City Code § 114-188, separately regulates owner-occupied short-term residential rentals (STRR) and non-owner-occupied short-term commercial rentals (STCR), but both formats share the same per-bedroom occupancy cap. Section 114-188(a)(10) limits an STRR to two guests per bedroom, not including children under 12, and section 114-188(b)(9)g applies the identical two-guests-per-bedroom cap to an STCR. The STCR rule goes further at (b)(9)h, capping total gathering size: including the house's own occupants, no more than one and one-half times the maximum permitted occupancy may be present on the premises at once, addressing gathering complaints beyond overnight sleeping counts.

Hosts of both rental types must hold a business license before advertising, booking or renting the property, and each listing's advertisement must reflect the occupancy restrictions under § 114-188(d). A quiet-time window from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. applies to both formats, during which loud or disturbing noise from guests is unlawful. The Planning and Development Department, which issues the business license, tracks notices of violation (NOVs): a host who racks up more than two NOVs in a year risks license revocation by the city commission, on top of any occupancy citation.