Auburn, AL Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

The City of Auburn, an incorporated municipality in Lee County, regulates short-term rentals through its own Zoning Ordinance and business-license rules, adopted by the City Council on March 16, 2021 and amended July 6, 2021. Auburn recognizes two categories. A homestay is a home occupation in which the owner of a dwelling used as a permanent residence rents out that dwelling, or a portion of it, as lodging; it is governed by Section 511.04 (Home Occupations) and requires a Home Occupation Permit. A short-term non-primary rental is a dwelling that is not a permanent residence and is leased in its entirety to one party for periods of less than 30 consecutive days; it is governed by Section 408.02.D.6 and requires a Zoning Certificate. Auburn does not permit short-term rentals in every zone: Neighborhood Conservation (NC) districts prohibit them, and homestays are not allowed in the non-residential Industrial and South College Corridor districts. The Planning Services Department issues the zoning approval; applicants submit the application plus a deed or notarized letter to the Planning Services Department and create an account on the Auburn Permit Portal. Only after the permit or zoning certificate is issued can the operator obtain the required short-term rental business license from the Revenue Office. Alabama has no statewide STR license, so Auburn's local approval is the controlling requirement.