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 in the Huntsville market area is 66%. average monthly revenue in the Huntsville market area is $2,538. average daily rate in the Huntsville market area is $135. the top operator in the Huntsville market area is Landing, Inc. with 126 listings. market score is 60/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the wider Huntsville market, which covers 4 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Huntsville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan | 55% |
| Feb | 64% |
| Mar | 70% |
| Apr | 65% |
| May | 68% |
| Jun | 73% |
| Jul | 70% |
| Aug | 66% |
| Sep | 62% |
| Oct | 63% |
| Nov | 61% |
| Dec | 59% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Huntsville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Huntsville market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Huntsville market as a whole, which includes Huntsville, so these counts are not Huntsville-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Huntsville 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 | 53.1% |
| vrbo | 10.3% |
| both | 36.6% |
Home Value Trends (Huntsville)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Huntsville 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 Huntsville — 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
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
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