Huntsville, Alabama Short-Term Rental Market
Huntsville STRs averaged $127/night at 63.0% occupancy in April 2026, supported by 4 million annual visitors to the Rocket City.
Quick Answer: Huntsville, Alabama is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 63%. average monthly revenue is $2,191. average daily rate is $127. the top operator is Landing, Inc. with 126 listings. market score is 60/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Huntsville, Alabama is the state’s most populous city and home to Redstone Arsenal, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The STR market draws primarily from the city’s 4 million annual visitors, which skew toward aerospace and defense industry professionals, Space Camp participants, and government contractors alongside general leisure travelers. The market has 1,664 active listings, dominated by entire-place rentals (1,486) with 178 private rooms. The average daily rate in April 2026 was $126.83 and occupancy reached 63.0%, with RevPAR at $79.88.
Bedroom mix is skewed toward smaller units: 1-bedroom properties account for 768 listings, 2-bedrooms 357, 3-bedrooms 358, 4-bedrooms 130, and 5-bedroom-plus units 50. This reflects the significant share of corporate and professional demand. Airbnb is the dominant channel with 884 listings versus VRBO’s 171, and 609 listings appear on both platforms.
Year-over-year in April 2026, occupancy rose 4.33 percentage points, while ADR dipped 1.03% and revenue grew 1.74%. The composite market score of 59.7 reflects moderate investability (71.2) and a strong seasonality score (97.4), which in this context means remarkably consistent year-round demand rather than a pronounced seasonal peak.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56% | $95 | $1,535 |
| Feb | 64% | $97 | $1,576 |
| Mar | 70% | $104 | $1,992 |
| Apr | 65% | $106 | $1,869 |
| May | 68% | $107 | $1,964 |
| Jun | 74% | $109 | $2,122 |
| Jul | 70% | $106 | $2,008 |
| Aug | 66% | $105 | $1,882 |
| Sep | 62% | $103 | $1,729 |
| Oct | 63% | $110 | $1,920 |
| Nov | 61% | $105 | $1,725 |
| Dec | 59% | $104 | $1,777 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Huntsville
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Landing, Inc. | 126 | 227 | ★ 4.25 |
| 2 | Landing | 77 | 13 | ★ 2.84 |
| 3 | Comfy Homes | 49 | 68 | ★ 4.72 |
| 4 | Bones Vacances | 40 | 3 | ★ 5.00 |
| 5 | Keans Way | 26 | 1,221 | ★ 4.72 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Huntsville?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 768 |
| 2 bed | 357 |
| 3 bed | 358 |
| 4 bed | 130 |
| 5 bed | 50 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $136 |
| Luxury | $207 |
| Professionally Managed | $118 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,884 |
| Entire Place | $2,339 |
| House | $2,474 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 53.1% |
| vrbo | 10.3% |
| both | 36.6% |
Investment Analysis
At an average monthly revenue of $2,191 in April 2026, an annualized Huntsville STR generates approximately $26,300 in gross revenue. Against a typical home value of $288,707, that implies a gross yield of approximately 9.1% before expenses, management fees, and financing costs. Against the median sale price of $280,667, the gross yield is approximately 9.4%. With 980 homes actively for sale and a median list price of $326,667, entry cost is accessible relative to major metros.
The sale-to-list ratio of 0.859 indicates properties are selling below list price on average, and the median days-to-pending of 24 reflects a moderately active market. These conditions give investors more negotiating room than in tighter metros.
Revenue varies by property type: houses average $2,474 per month, entire-place listings broadly average $2,339, and apartments average $1,884. Notably, the professionally managed ADR of $118.00 is below the all-listings average of $126.83. This reflects the composition of professionally managed inventory in Huntsville, which likely skews toward corporate and extended-stay apartment units at lower nightly but higher occupancy rates. Luxury-tier listings command $207.38 per night. Revenue growth score (40.3) signals that this is a mature market with modest upside, consistent with the plateau in annual average revenue ($2,093 in 2022 versus $2,180 in 2024).
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
Run a Free Address Analysis
Skip the market averages. Get revenue projections, comp analysis, and ROI for your specific property address. Free, instant, no signup required.
Analyze My Property →Home Value Trends (Huntsville)
Booking Insights
Huntsville guests book with relatively short lead times: the average is 29.1 days, or about four weeks between reservation and check-in. This short lead window reflects the substantial corporate and professional travel component in the Huntsville market, where business travelers and contractors often book closer to their trip dates rather than months in advance. Operators should keep calendars updated in near-real-time and use dynamic pricing that responds to late-demand spikes from professional travelers.
Average length of stay is 5.09 nights, notably above the national STR average and suggesting guests are making multi-night stays for work projects, extended visits, or multi-day events at the Space and Rocket Center or nearby installations. Longer average stays reduce cleaning frequency and turnover costs, improving net operating margins. Operators who can accommodate Monday-to-Friday corporate stays and weekend leisure stays within the same property are well-positioned in this market.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Huntsville requires a City of Huntsville Business License for all STR operations, defined as stays of 179 days or fewer. The annual renewal fee is $259 for a principal residence and $518 for a secondary or non-owner-occupied residence. Licenses expire December 31 and are non-transferable.
Critically, STRs are prohibited in most standard residential zoning districts and are treated as motels under Huntsville’s zoning code. Eligible zones include R-2B, C-3 (General Business), C-4 (Highway Business), C-5 (Commercial Recreation), Light Industry, Heavy Industry, Airport Industrial Park, and Research Park Commercial. STRs are allowed by special exception in C-2, C-6, and select Research Park zones. Operators must verify zoning eligibility with the Zoning Administration at 256-564-8008 before applying. The vast majority of single-family residential parcels do not qualify.
Occupancy tax: the City of Huntsville charges 9% on the room charge for stays under 180 consecutive days, plus a $2-per-room-per-night surcharge. Madison County falls within the Alabama Mountain Lakes area, which carries a state lodging tax of 5%. Occupancy is limited to two adults per bedroom; quiet hours run 10 PM to 6 AM with fines starting at $100 for violations. The city has conducted enforcement actions against more than 50 unlicensed STR operators. There are no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirements.
Market Comparison
Nationally, the median STR occupancy is approximately 55% and median ADR roughly $220. Huntsville’s April 2026 occupancy of 63.0% exceeds the national median by about 8 percentage points, a significant outperformance. However, the $126.83 ADR is well below the national median, reflecting Huntsville’s lower cost-of-living market and the price-sensitive corporate travel segment. This combination of above-median occupancy and below-median ADR results in a RevPAR of $79.88, below national benchmarks but offset by more affordable entry costs.
Landing Inc. is the largest professional operator with 126 listings and 227 reviews at a 4.25 rating, representing roughly 7.6% of total inventory. A second Landing entity lists 77 properties with only 13 reviews at a 2.84 rating, suggesting newer or repositioning inventory. Comfy Homes (49 listings, 4.72 rating) and Keans Way (26 listings, 1,221 reviews, 4.72 rating) represent the highest-rated established operators. Bones Vacances (40 listings) has a 5.0 rating but only 3 reviews, indicating very limited review data. Combined, the top five manage 318 listings, or roughly 19.1% of market inventory. The market is more concentrated among smaller operators than beach or lake markets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Huntsville, Alabama
What is the average daily rate for Huntsville, AL short-term rentals?
What occupancy rates do Huntsville STRs achieve?
How much revenue can a Huntsville STR generate?
Can I legally operate a short-term rental in Huntsville?
What are typical home values for STR investment in Huntsville?
How far in advance do guests book Huntsville rentals?
Who are the largest property managers in the Huntsville STR market?
Analyze Huntsville Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Huntsville.
Free Huntsville STR Calculator →
