Short-Term Rental Management business requirements — Alabama
What it takes to legally operate in Alabama. Add your city for local permits.
2 items below — add your city to check local permits, and we're still verifying. We show what we've confirmed and flag what we haven't rather than guess.
Formation & federal100% verified
Alabama LLC Articles of Organization filing fee is about $200; formation takes 1–2 weeks online.
Get a free EIN from the IRS
Alabama requires no ongoing LLC report. Alabama eliminated the Secretary of State annual report in Oct 2024; you still file a Business Privilege Tax return with the Dept. of Revenue by April 15, but the minimum tax is now $0
Alabama taxes100% verified
Alabama has a sales/use tax — register with the state tax agency before selling taxable goods or services.
Alabama has a personal income tax
Licenses100% verified
This is the tricky part: in a number of states, managing someone else's property for a fee — collecting rent, handling deposits — requires a real-estate broker's license or a property management license, even for short-term rentals. Some states carve out an exception for STRs; others don't. Separately, most cities now require the property itself to hold a short-term rental permit, and you'll be the one keeping owners compliant.
Local permits0% verified
Local permits (zoning, home occupation, signage, health) are set by your city/county — tell us your city for specifics.
Insurance0% verified
General liability insurance is recommended for most service businesses.
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