Mobile, AL Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Mobile treats a short-term rental as a conditional use requiring approval under UDC Article 5, Section 64-5-6, the same provision that governs bed and breakfasts, bars and other uses listed on Table 4.1 of the Unified Development Code. An applicant must file a conditional use permit application that the director forwards to the planning commission within forty-five days of it being deemed complete. The planning commission holds a public hearing, files its recommendation with the city council within fifteen days, and the council then holds its own hearing before voting to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the permit.

Section 64-5-6.E.11(g) lists thirteen site and design standards that attach once the permit is granted. The rental may not have on-site employees, may not include more than eight guest rooms, may not serve meals, and guest rooms may not contain cooking facilities. Subsection (5) requires "a valid city business license... for each discrete short-term rental location," with the license number posted on every advertisement or listing, though a single structure with multiple rentable units needs only one license. The operator must post the name and phone number of a local responsible party who answers complaint calls twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and the unit must carry working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, one 2.5-pound Class A-B-C fire extinguisher per floor, and a visible 911 address. The rental may not occupy an accessory structure, accessory dwelling unit, outdoor space, or recreational vehicle, and only one group may rent the unit at a time.

If the city council denies an application, the same or a similar application cannot be resubmitted for six months, and a denial may be appealed to the Mobile County Circuit Court within forty-two days. A granted permit expires if no construction permit is pulled within two years, absent an extension approved before expiration.