Mobile distinguishes owner-occupied short-term rentals from non-owner-occupied investor rentals, with stricter standards in residential zones to preserve neighborhood character around historic districts like Oakleigh and De Tonti Square.
Owner-occupied permits apply when the host lives on-site at least half the year and rents bedrooms or an attached unit. Non-owner-occupied permits cover absentee investor properties and face additional conditions: a designated local responsible agent, stricter occupancy caps, and zoning verification. Some single-family residential overlays restrict non-owner-occupied STRs entirely or cap their density. Mardi Gras-week investor purchases on parade routes have driven permit caps in select neighborhoods.
Misrepresenting owner occupancy on an application is permit fraud and triggers immediate revocation plus a multi-year ban on reapplying for the property.
Mobile, AL
Mobile requires a business license for rental property operators, and inspections may be triggered by tenant complaints, code-enforcement sweeps, or transfer...
Mobile, AL
Mobile requires STR operators to obtain a city business license. The initial application fee is approximately $150. Operators must designate a local responsi...
See how Mobile's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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