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Short-Term Rentals

Office of the City Manager

City Hall

144 Tichenor Ave, Suite 1

Katie Robison

Katie Robison

PRINCIPAL PLANNER

Regulations

Registering a short-term rental

To register a short-term rental, you will need to complete two steps:

STEP ONE
Submit for the appropriate permit, depending on which type of rental you will operate. There are two types — homestay and short-term non-primary rental.

  • A homestay is a home occupation in which an individual who owns a dwelling that is used as his or her permanent residence rents out such a dwelling, or any portion thereof, as lodging. For this, you will apply for a Home Occupation Permit. (See Section 511.04, Detailed Accessory Use Regulations: Home Occupations, of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance.)
  • A short-term non-primary rental is a dwelling unit that is not a permanent residence and that is leased in its entirety to one party for periods of less than 30 consecutive days. For this, you will apply for a Zoning Certificate. (See Section 408.02.D.6., Special Development Standards: Instituational, Indoor Recreation, & Special Residential Uses - Short-Term Non-Primary Rental, of the City of Auburn Zoning Ordinance.)

Access your account on the permit portal or create a new account. Submit a new permit request for either a home occupation permit or a zoning certificate, based on the type of rental you will operate. The request will be processed by the Planning Services Department, which can be reached at 334-501-3040 or webplanning@auburnal.gov.

STEP TWO
Apply for a Short-Term Rental Business License.

Once you receive your home occupation permit or zoning certificate, you will then fill out a Short-Term Business License Application. This application will be processed by the Revenue Office, which can be reached at 334-501-7239 or revenue@auburnal.gov.

If you are unsure whether short-term rentals are allowed in your area, explore the interactive map or reach out to Planning Services at 334-501-3040 or webplanning@auburnal.gov.

Reporting potential violations

Residents can report any potential violation of the short-term rental regulations to Inspection Services to make City inspectors aware of any possible unlawful short-term rental activity. Please report any potential violations through the Auburn FixIt app. City inspectors will respond accordingly. For after hours complaints, you may call the non-emergency line at 334-501-3100.

Residents may also submit a potential violation by email to webcodes@auburnal.gov and include the address for the complaint.

History

Learn the history behind Auburn's short-term rental regulations.