Alabama Short-Term Rentals — No State Preemption (April 2026) (AL)

Tracked preemption from the Alabama overlay bundle.

Overview

Effective
2026-04-18
Sunset
Authority
state
Scope
state:AL

Trigger predicate

When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.

never true

Preempted fields

0 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.

Citation

Authority source
Alabama Legislature 2023-2026 sessions — no enacted STR zoning preemption; lodging-tax only (Title 40)
§ No enacted STR zoning preemption as of April 2026
https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/

Research notes

Tracked as explicit non-preemption to make the absence visible. Alabama imposes lodging tax (4-5% state + local-option) on rentals <180 days but has no state STR licensing, no operational standards, and no occupancy-cap preemption. Industry-blog claims of a 2024 statewide STR preemption could not be matched to any Act number or §11 amendment in ALISON. Cities retain full Chapter 52 authority to restrict, license, or prohibit STRs. Active STR ordinances: Hoover, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Birmingham, Mobile (each independently). Re-verify each session.