Short-Term Rental Ordinance - The City of Anniston

Short-Term Rentals in the City of Anniston

Full Ordinance

Below you may review the most important details about our Short-Term Rental (STR) policies in the City of Anniston. However, before applying for your Short-Term Rental business license, please be sure to read the full ordinance linked here: Short-Term Rental (STR) Ordinance.

Short-Term Rentals (STR)

What are Short-Term Rentals? (Vbro, Airbnb…etc).

For purposes of this ordinance, “Short-Term Rental” or “STR” means a dwelling unit, or a part thereof, rented or offered for rent for at least one overnight stay but less than thirty (30) days per rental; such as a Vbro unit, an Airbnb, or similar short-term rental dwelling.

The rental of a dwelling unit for a definite term exceeding one (1) month shall be a long-term rental, and such long-term units are governed by chapter 13, article III, Rental Housing Health and Safety.

How to Start a Short-Term Rental (STR):

The following regulations apply to the short-term rental of dwelling units in residential and nonresidential districts within the City of Anniston.

(a) No person or entity shall offer, advertise, or rent a STR without first obtaining a valid and current business license for operating their STR from the city. The STR business license shall be obtained for each STR owned or operated by any person or entity.

(b) To obtain a STR business license, the owner or operator of a STR shall submit an application for business license, found here: https://bit.ly/3PChQqX
- The application shall include the name and telephone number of the person designated as the emergency contact for the STR.
  - The emergency contact must be able to answer calls twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week for the duration of each STR period, and he or she must be able to respond within one (1) hour to complaints about the condition or operation of the STR or conduct of renters or their guests. The emergency contact must also be able to respond on-site within twelve (12) hours at the request of the city. Prior to any change to the emergency contact, the owner or operator must submit the revised contact information to the city clerk.

(c) Any person or entity granted a STR business license must obtain and maintain vacation rental insurance, short-term rental insurance, or an equivalent form of insurance coverage. Proof of insurance must be provided within thirty (30) days of the date on which the city issues the STR business license. Proof of insurance must be resubmitted each year for renewal of the STR business license.

(d) Within one (1) calendar week of receiving a STR business license from the city, the owner or operator must deliver written notice to the owners of any properties adjoining the STR, and provide a copy of the notice to the city clerk, stating the following information:
- (1) The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the owner and operator of the STR and the emergency contact;
- (2) The telephone number for the public to report violations to the city’s code enforcement;
- (3) The maximum number of renters permitted to stay in each STR unit; and
- (4) The maximum number of vehicles that a renter of each STR unit is permitted to park at the property.

(e) The person or entity granted a STR business license shall charge, collect, report, and remit to the city a privilege or license tax in the amount and manner specified and required for taxes levied under chapter 30, article II, division 2, section 30.22 (g).

(f) Prior to operating the STR, the unit must pass a rental inspection by the city. To inquire about inspections, please contact our Building and Safety Department at: 256-231-7720.

What are the Requirements to Operate a Short-Term Rental?

(a) A STR shall be rented only for lodging use. A STR shall not be rented for weddings, parties, concerts, or similar events, and a STR shall not be used for such purposes of events during any rental period.

(b) No person or entity shall display any on-premises signage legible from any public street or right-of-way pertaining to any STR located in a residential or planned residential district.

(c) Each STR shall comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, regulations, and codes of the city, including, but not limited to, those governing building construction, fire safety, noise, and garbage collection and disposal.

(d) Each STR must have adequate off-street parking to accommodate all renter and guest parking needs. No person shall park a recreational vehicle, buses, or trailers on the street or forward of the front building line.

(e) No STR licensee, owner, or operator may prepare or serve food to any renter or guest. Cooking facilities are not permitted in any STR guest rooms.

(f) A copy of the STR license, emergency contact information, and house rules, which must comply with this article, shall be posted in a conspicuous place within the STR.

(g) Upon notification that a renter or a renter’s guest has violated any provisions of this article or any noise, garbage, or other applicable provision of the laws, ordinances, regulations, and codes of the city, the owner, operator, or emergency contact must promptly notify the renter of the violation and take such action as is necessary to prevent a recurrence.

What are the Occupancy Regulations for a Short-Term Rental?

(a) A STR unit shall not be rented to or occupied by more than one one guest or one party during any rental period.

(b) The occupancy of a STR unit shall be limited to the most restrictive of the following:
- (1) No more than two (2) persons per bedroom plus two (2) persons; or
- (2) No more than four (4) persons per parking space.

(c) The number of bedrooms and parking spaces for each STR shall be determined by the building and safety division in connection with the issuance of a STR business license or certificate of Occupancy.

(d) The owner or operator must, by written agreement with the renter, limit overnight occupancy of each STR unit to the maximum occupancy allowed by this section.

What Inspections are First Required to Operate a Short-Term Rental?

(a) No person or entity shall rent a STR unit without a valid and current certificate of occupancy issued upon inspection and approval by the building and safety division. Each certificate of occupancy shall be valid for twelve (12) months from the date of issuance.
- A Rental Inspection Application may be found here: https://bit.ly/3sTlVNK.

(b) To obtain a certificate of occupancy, the owner, operator, or licensee must request and schedule an inspection by building and safety division of any STR units to be offered for rent. The building and safety division shall verify the information provided in the application and ensure the STR complies with the applicable building safety and property maintenance codes adopted by the city. The city may not issue or renew a certificate of occupancy until the owner, operator, or licensee corrects any violations identified upon inspection. The city shall not charge a fee for the issuance of a certificate of occupancy when issued upon inspection by the building and safety division.

(c) The owner, operator, or licensee may also obtain a certificate of occupancy from the city upon submission of a verified statement of compliance and approval of occupancy upon inspection by a qualified agency. In such cases, the city shall charge and collect a fee in the amount of ten dollars ($10.00) for the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

(d) In the event an STR is occupied by a renter or guest before a certificate of occupancy is issued for the unit, in violation of the provisions of this section, the building and safety division shall perform an inspection of the STR, and the city shall charge and collect a fee from the owner, operator, or licensee as follows:
- (1) One hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first inspection following an un-permitted occupancy;
- (2) Two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for the second inspection following an un-permitted occupancy; and
- (3) Five hundred dollars ($500.00) for the third inspection following an un-permitted occupancy.

Violations of Short-Term Rental Rules & Regulations:

(a) If, after investigation, the building and safety division determines that any provisions of this article have been violated, the building and safety division will provide written notice to the licensee of the violations, any corrective action required, and the due date for compliance, as applicable. The building and safety division may approve an extension of the due date for compliance if substantial progress has been made towards compliance.

(b) In addition to the other remedies set out in this article, the building and safety division may, in an exercise of discretion, issue a warning to the person responsible for the violation if that person has not been previously warned or cited for violating a provision of this article.

(c) If a violation has not been corrected by the due date for compliance, the building and safety division may cause the temporary suspension of the STR business license for a unit or units where the violation has persisted until such time as the violation is corrected.

(d) When recurrent violations occur at an STR, including noise, occupancy, parking, and safety violations, the city’s code enforcement officer may request that the council revoke the STR business license. In such case, the council shall hold a public hearing, after at least seven (7) days’ notice to the licensee, after which the council may order the revocation or suspension of the STR business license.

The violation of the provisions of this article shall be an offense. Any person committing a violation shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) and not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00).

Staff Contact Information:

Jason Brown | Fire Marshal | 256-231-7650 | jkbrown@annistonal.gov

Tana Bryant | Senior Code Enforcement Officer | 256-231-7733 | tbryant@annistonal.gov

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