LicensedRental

Colbert County, Alabama

Sheffield, AL vacation rental requirements

Sheffield requires a business license (Schedule P) plus a $50 yearly permit for each short-term rental unit (under 30 days), with fire inspector approval, a local contact who responds within an hour, parking on site, sound indoors, and no events. Lodgings tax is 11% plus $1 a night.

Checked against official sources November 5, 2026

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City permit
$50 per unit a year
Plus the business license, NAICS 721199, Schedule P (§50-175).Source
Response time
1 hour
24-hour local phone number.Source
Lodgings tax
11% + $1 a night
3% city + $1 room fee (city-administered) + 3% county + 5% state.Source

Airbnb’s Alabama tax article lists the state tax and the local taxes the state administers. Taxes filed with a city, a county, or Avenu Insights may not be collected by the platform, so ask what it collects and file the rest yourself.

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

State of Alabama

  1. Register for the lodgings tax

    Create an account at My Alabama Taxes (MAT) and register for state lodgings tax, plus any local lodgings taxes the state administers for your county and city. Cities that collect their own tax need a separate account with the city.Source

    My Alabama Taxes →

  2. File by the 20th

    Returns are due by the 20th of the following month. Small filers can ask (before February 20) to file quarterly, twice a year, or yearly. Paying on time earns a small discount (5% of the first $100 of tax, 2% after).Source

  3. Know what the platform collects

    Under Act 2024-334, Airbnb, VRBO, and other booking platforms collect the state and local lodgings taxes on their bookings unless your contract says you remit. You still owe tax on direct bookings, and the law adds a yearly report of every unit rented more than 14 days.Source

  4. Keep filing once you register

    If every booking goes through a platform that collects all your state and local lodgings taxes, you may not need your own account. But if you take direct bookings, or the platform doesn’t collect one of your local taxes (often the ones filed with a city, a county, or Avenu), register and file it yourself. Once registered, file every period, even a $0 return, and report platform-collected sales as a deduction. Some county offices ask owners to keep their own account and file monthly even when the platform pays, so ask yours.Source

  5. Then your county and city

    Local business licenses, rental permits, and zoning rules are where Alabama towns differ most. Pick your area.

Colbert County, Alabama

  1. Register for the county lodgings tax

    File the 3% county tax with the state through My Alabama Taxes, along with the 5% state tax.Source

  2. Then your city

    Pick your area.

City of Sheffield

  1. Get the business license and permit

    Apply with the owner, any manager (who needs their own license), a 24-hour local contact, the address, your listing platforms, and fire inspector approval. Pay $50 per unit each year.Source

  2. Register for lodgings tax

    Total lodgings tax here is 11% plus $1 a night. The city’s 3% and $1 room fee are filed with the city; the county 3% and state 5% go through My Alabama Taxes. Airbnb collects the state 5% and any state-administered local tax on its bookings. Ask your platform whether it also collects the other local taxes, and file anything it doesn’t (and all direct bookings) by the 20th of each month.Source

House rules for guests

Parking
On site
No RVs, boats, or trailers on the street or in front of the house; no commercial vehicles.Source
Events
None allowed
Source
Amplified sound
Indoors only
Source

Sources

A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.