LicensedRental

Alabama county rules

Tuscaloosa County, AL vacation rental rules and taxes

Tuscaloosa County has a big game-day rental market but, as far as we found, no county lodging tax, so the state’s 4% applies outside cities. The City of Tuscaloosa limits short-term rentals by zone and days per year and adds an 11% lodging tax; Northport adds 11% and has zoning standards for short-term rentals.

Checked against official sources November 5, 2026
County lodging tax
None found
No Tuscaloosa County lodging tax appears in the state’s November 2026 rate report.Source
State lodgings tax
4%
City lodging taxes
11% in Tuscaloosa and Northport
5.5% in each city’s police jurisdiction. Both cities collect their own.Source
Market
About 800 listings
Driven by University of Alabama football weekends and Lake Tuscaloosa.Source

What to do

  1. Find out if you’re in a city or police jurisdiction

    Tuscaloosa and Northport tax (and Tuscaloosa licenses) short-term rentals in their police jurisdictions too, not only inside city limits. Ask the city which applies at your address.Source

  2. Then your city

    Pick your area.

Towns

Full guide

Northport

Northport’s zoning code (December 2024) limits short-term rentals in residential districts to one guest party, two guests per bedroom plus two, and four per parking space, with no events and the license and contact posted inside. A city business license and the 11% city lodging tax apply (15% total). A stricter licensing ordinance was up for a vote on November 16, 2026.

Full guide

Tuscaloosa (city)

Tuscaloosa requires a short-term rental business license (with the number in every listing), $1 million in liability insurance, and a home inspection every two years. Most homes can rent only 45 days a year by right, and only inside the tourist overlay near campus and downtown; elsewhere, in historic districts, or for more days, you need a $400 special exception from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Lodging tax is 15% (11% city + 4% state).

Full guide

Unincorporated Tuscaloosa

We found no Tuscaloosa County short-term rental permit and no county lodging tax, so outside the cities the state’s 4% applies. Many homes near Tuscaloosa or Northport, including around Lake Tuscaloosa, are in a city police jurisdiction, where the city adds a 5.5% lodging tax and Tuscaloosa requires its short-term rental business license.

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.