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 is 55%. average monthly revenue is $3,645. average daily rate is $245. the top operator 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 Apivex 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 | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36% | $146 | $1,610 |
| Feb | 46% | $147 | $1,645 |
| Mar | 53% | $167 | $2,309 |
| Apr | 49% | $172 | $2,259 |
| May | 50% | $201 | $2,637 |
| Jun | 59% | $224 | $3,464 |
| Jul | 59% | $227 | $3,703 |
| Aug | 46% | $200 | $2,583 |
| Sep | 45% | $211 | $2,504 |
| Oct | 46% | $193 | $2,528 |
| Nov | 45% | $201 | $2,417 |
| Dec | 38% | $170 | $2,054 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Guntersville
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | 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 pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,883 |
| 2 bed | 2,004 |
| 3 bed | 2,198 |
| 4 bed | 959 |
| 5 bed | 540 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $250 |
| Luxury | $458 |
| Professionally Managed | $303 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,261 |
| Entire Place | $3,724 |
| House | $4,152 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 43.7% |
| vrbo | 10.3% |
| both | 46% |
Investment Analysis
Guntersville offers a lower-cost entry to lakefront STR investing compared to coastal alternatives. The typical home value was $301,096 as of April 2026 (Zillow estimate). With average monthly STR revenue of $2,531, the implied annualized gross revenue runs approximately $30,376, for a gross yield near 10.1% before operating expenses, management fees, and debt service.
Note that the median list price of $605,967 diverges substantially from the typical home value and median sale price of $251,167 in the April 2026 dataset. This spread likely reflects a thin listing sample concentrated in higher-value waterfront properties. Investors should source current waterfront property pricing independently, as lakefront acquisition costs will differ from the typical home value estimate.
Tier separation by ADR shows meaningful upside for quality. The overall average ADR of $197.89 rises to $201.29 for entire-home listings, $228.37 for professionally managed properties (a 15% premium), and $390.62 for luxury-tier listings (a 97% premium). The large luxury gap suggests that premium lakefront properties with high-end amenities can nearly double the market-average rate.
The revenue trend has been declining from a 2021 peak of $2,803 annual average, settling to $2,653 in 2024 and $2,663 in 2025, essentially flat. April 2026 year-over-year revenue growth of 2.0% is encouraging. The investability score of 95.1 reflects the favorable entry cost relative to income, and the seasonality score of 77.5 indicates a relatively balanced year that avoids the extreme troughs of some sun-belt vacation markets.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Guntersville STR guests book an average of 48.3 days in advance as of April 2026, roughly seven weeks before arrival. This lead time aligns closely with comparable lake-market destinations and reflects drive-market vacation planners who lock in dates well ahead, particularly for summer lake weekends and fishing tournaments.
Average length of stay is 3.67 nights. This slightly-under-four-night pattern is consistent with long-weekend lake trips. At 3.67 nights per booking, a property can accommodate six to eight bookings per month during peak summer periods. The tournament-driven demand component may produce some longer mid-week stays for anglers staying through multi-day competitions, which can help fill gaps between weekend bookings. Minimum-stay policies of three to four nights during summer peak weeks align with observed booking behavior.
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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