Guntersville, Alabama Short-Term Rental Market
Guntersville AL STRs averaged $198/night at 47.7% occupancy in April 2026, anchored by Lake Guntersville's 69,000-acre bass fishing and boating economy.
Quick Answer: Guntersville, Alabama is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Alabama Area market area is 55%. average monthly revenue in the Alabama Area market area is $3,645. average daily rate in the Alabama Area market area is $245. the top operator in the Alabama Area market area is Evolve with 254 listings. market score is 77/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Alabama Area regional market, which includes Guntersville. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Guntersville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Guntersville sits on Alabama’s largest lake, a 69,000-acre, 75-mile reservoir that ranks among the nation’s top bass fishing destinations and hosted the 2020 Bassmaster Classic. This lake-tourism identity drives a STR market with approximately 7,599 active listings across the greater Guntersville area, large relative to the city’s resident population of 8,916.
Entire-place listings account for 7,252 units, or about 95% of supply. Private rooms add 346 listings, with one shared-room listing. The bedroom mix trends toward three-bedroom units (2,198 listings), followed by two-bedroom (2,004), one-bedroom (1,883), four-bedroom (959), and five-bedroom-plus (540). Channel distribution shows relatively balanced multi-platform presence: 3,493 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 3,323 are Airbnb-only, and 783 are VRBO-only, a higher Airbnb-only share than some comparable lake markets.
As of April 2026, the market posted 47.7% average occupancy, a $197.89 average daily rate, and average monthly revenue of $2,531 per active listing. RevPAR was $94.44. Year-over-year, occupancy slipped 0.95 percentage points, while ADR edged up 0.9% and revenue grew 2.0%, indicating rate-driven revenue improvement despite slight volume softness. The overall market score is 76.6 out of 100, with an investability score of 95.1 and seasonality at 77.5, reflecting reasonable year-round demand compared to strictly seasonal lake markets.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 36% |
| Feb | 46% |
| Mar | 53% |
| Apr | 49% |
| May | 50% |
| Jun | 59% |
| Jul | 59% |
| Aug | 46% |
| Sep | 45% |
| Oct | 46% |
| Nov | 45% |
| Dec | 38% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Guntersville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Alabama Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Alabama Area market as a whole, which includes Guntersville, so these counts are not Guntersville-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 254 | 8,558 | ★ 4.73 |
| 2 | Smith Lake | 65 | 556 | ★ 4.73 |
| 3 | Magnolia Linen Company | 53 | 4,687 | ★ 4.90 |
| 4 | Mentone Mountain Getaways | 45 | 3,537 | ★ 4.81 |
| 5 | 360 Destinations | 44 | 717 | ★ 4.73 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Guntersville?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Guntersville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 43.7% |
| vrbo | 10.3% |
| both | 46% |
Home Value Trends (Guntersville)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Guntersville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Guntersville — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Guntersville regulates short-term rentals under Ordinance No. 1097, adopted December 3, 2018 and effective January 1, 2019. The ordinance applies to rentals of fewer than 30 consecutive days in residentially zoned areas within city limits. Properties in commercially zoned areas where lodging is already permitted are not subject to the ordinance.
To operate legally, an owner must hold a city renting and leasing business license and an annual STR permit at $20 per unit per year. Applications require a 24/7 emergency contact who can respond by phone within one hour and on-site within 12 hours, proof of vacation-rental insurance (resubmitted at renewal), and written notice to adjacent residential property owners. Occupancy is capped at two persons plus two additional persons per bedroom, verified by the city building official, who may inspect the property.
The dwelling may be used for lodging only. Events such as weddings, parties, concerts, and gatherings are expressly prohibited. No on-premises signage visible from the street is allowed. Operators must provide adequate off-street parking and comply with noise and garbage requirements. There is no cap on annual rental nights and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement.
On taxes, the city levies a flat nightly surcharge of $3.00 per rental unit per night inside city limits ($1.50 in the police jurisdiction). Alabama’s state lodgings tax of 5% also applies, and county and other local taxes may add to the burden. Enforcement escalates from warnings to fines of $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for subsequent violations, with permit suspension or revocation possible for repeat offenders.
Market Comparison
Guntersville’s April 2026 occupancy of 47.7% sits below the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%, though April is not the market’s seasonal peak. The July average of 59.4% occupancy approaches the national median. The ADR of $197.89 is slightly below the U.S. median of roughly $220, reflecting the market’s inland lake positioning rather than coastal pricing power.
The investability score of 95.1 is among the higher scores in this dataset, anchored by the relatively affordable typical home value of $301,096 against income potential. Seasonality at 77.5 compares favorably to coastal beach markets that post scores in the 40s to 50s.
The operator landscape is less concentrated than in larger coastal markets. Evolve leads with 254 listings and 8,558 reviews (4.73 average rating). Smith Lake holds 65 listings with 556 reviews at a 4.73 rating. Magnolia Linen Company manages 53 listings with 4,687 reviews and the highest rating among the top five at 4.90. The top three operators together manage 372 listings, approximately 5% of the 7,599 total active supply, among the lowest operator-concentration ratios in this data set, indicating a market dominated by independent hosts.
Frequently Asked Questions About Guntersville, Alabama
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