Short-term rental permit rules in Lee County, AL — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Alabama leaves short-term rentals to local control. Unincorporated Lee County runs no STR permit program, but Auburn strictly licenses rentals, splitting homestays from non-primary units, and Opelika regulates rentals through its housing code.
There is no statewide STR preemption in Alabama, so rules depend on where the property sits. Unincorporated Lee County does not run an STR permit program, though county zoning may apply in beats that adopted the Planning Commission's regulations. Auburn is the strict one: it separates owner-occupied homestays from short-term non-primary rentals, allows non-primary units only in approved zoning districts, bars events, and requires a zoning certificate or home-occupation permit plus a short-term rental business license. Opelika also regulates rentals through its housing code. Verify requirements with the specific city planning department.
Operating an unlicensed STR in Auburn can bring fines of $500 per day of violation. County code and zoning violations are enforced separately with correction notices and fines.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Lee County's permit requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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