Tuscaloosa, AL Short-Term Rentals: Registration Rules (2026)

Short-term rental and business licenses in Tuscaloosa must be renewed annually. The City's Revenue Division mails business-license renewal cards on December 31 each year; the returned renewal card and payment must be postmarked by February 15 to be considered on time, and any renewal not postmarked by the due date is subject to penalty and interest. At renewal, the operator must submit: a current insurance policy meeting the ordinance criteria; proof of a biennial (every-two-years) home inspection for single-family dwellings; an annual dock inspection where applicable (relevant to Lake Tuscaloosa-area rentals); and an annual lodging-tax report from the rental platform where applicable. A local responsible party's name and phone number must be posted and that contact must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to problems or complaints. The City must also be listed as an 'additional interested party' on the required insurance. The City's licensing rules for short-term rentals are codified in Chapter 7 of the Tuscaloosa Municipal Code (Business Licenses and Taxation), with the zoning-side standards in the Zoning Ordinance.