Auburn, AL Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Auburn's ordinance is built around the distinction between owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied rentals, and it permits both. A homestay is a home occupation in which an individual who owns a dwelling used as a permanent residence rents out that dwelling, or a portion of it, as lodging. A short-term non-primary rental, by definition, is a dwelling that is not a permanent residence and that is leased in its entirety to one party for periods of less than 30 consecutive days - in other words, an investment property the owner does not live in. Because Auburn created a dedicated non-primary category under Section 408.02.D.6, it does not require that short-term rentals be the host's primary residence. The trade-off for the non-primary category is operational: a short-term non-primary rental is limited in operation to 240 days each calendar year, and it must obtain a Zoning Certificate (renewed annually) rather than a Home Occupation Permit. Zoning still constrains where each type may operate: Neighborhood Conservation (NC) districts prohibit short-term rentals altogether, while homestays are allowed citywide except in the Industrial and South College Corridor districts. So Auburn allows non-primary rentals but channels them into permitted zones and a 240-day annual ceiling rather than banning non-owner-occupied operation.