Short-Term Rentals

City Hall

144 Tichenor Ave, Suite 1

Katie Robison

PRINCIPAL PLANNER

Regulations

Short-Term Rentals Ordinance (adopted March 16, 2021)
Supplement to Short-Term Rentals Ordinance (adopted July 6, 2021)
Interactive Map: Explore the map to see where short-term rentals are allowed in Auburn.

Registering a short-term rental

To RENEW your short-term rental—homestay and non-primary—for 2026 please call the planning department at 334-501-3040

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.)

For a Homestay, fill out a Home Occupation application.

For a Short-Term Non-Primary rental, fill out a Zoning Certificate application.

Once filled out, email the application—as well as the deed/notarized letter—to webplanning@auburnalabama.org. The planning department will reach out and provide further instruction once they process the application.

In the meantime, create an account, if you haven't already, on the Auburn Permit Portal using the email address listed on the application. This will make the process easier when the time comes to pay for the permit, reach out to the planning department at 334-501-3040 for help.

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. When doing so, select "Code Enforcement" as the Report Type, then select "Short Term Rental Issue" as the Issue Type. Be sure to include the address where the potential violation is taking place. City inspectors will respond accordingly. For afterhours complaints, please 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.