Lillian, Alabama Short-Term Rental Market
Lillian short-term rentals on Perdido Bay earned $495 ADR at 82% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Lillian, Alabama is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 82%. average monthly revenue is $11,156. average daily rate is $495.
Market data reflects the Gulf Shores/Mobile regional market, which includes Lillian. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Lillian.
Market Overview
Lillian is a small, unincorporated coastal community of about 1,330 residents in eastern Baldwin County, Alabama, on the western shore of Perdido Bay near the Alabama-Florida state line. It sits within the broader Alabama Gulf Coast tourism corridor, roughly 30 to 40 minutes from Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, though it is not itself a primary tourist destination. In June 2026, the most recent month with complete data, the average daily rate across all listings was $495.08 at 82.44% occupancy, generating average monthly revenue of $11,156.07 per listing, the highest revenue figure of any market in this batch. Occupancy is up 2.12% year over year, ADR is down 8.71%, and monthly revenue is still up 1.92% year over year.
Bedroom mix, listing-type mix, and market-score data are not yet published for this area in the current data set, so this overview does not include those breakdowns. What is available shows a tiered spread: entire-home listings average $498.28 per night, close to the all-listings figure, while professionally managed listings average $556.64 and luxury-tier listings command $679.31.
Lillian also has a shorter operating history in this data set than most markets in this batch, with only 2025 and 2026 showing full monthly coverage. Booking data shows an average lead time of 80.99 days and an average length of stay of 4.68 nights, consistent with planned Gulf Coast vacation trips booked well in advance rather than last-minute regional visits.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39% | $223 | $2,264 |
| Feb | 63% | $239 | $2,988 |
| Mar | 72% | $327 | $5,561 |
| Apr | 58% | $338 | $5,316 |
| May | 64% | $402 | $6,872 |
| Jun | 82% | $495 | $11,156 |
| Jul | 82% | $455 | $10,594 |
| Aug | 55% | $355 | $5,753 |
| Sep | 50% | $310 | $4,587 |
| Oct | 55% | $309 | $4,581 |
| Nov | 34% | $263 | $2,713 |
| Dec | 31% | $244 | $2,216 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Lillian?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $498 |
| Luxury | $679 |
| Professionally Managed | $557 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $10,705 |
| Entire Place | $11,247 |
| House | $12,564 |
Investment Analysis
At the current average daily rate of $495.08 across all listings, Lillian short-term rentals produced $11,156.07 in average monthly revenue in June 2026, the highest single-month revenue figure of any market in this batch. Because June is Lillian’s seasonal peak, simply multiplying this figure by 12 would substantially overstate a full year of revenue. Based on the seasonal monthly averages elsewhere in this profile, a more realistic full-year revenue estimate is roughly $64,600 (summing the twelve historical monthly averages), rather than the roughly $133,900 that a naive month-times-12 calculation would suggest.
Against a typical home value of $316,477.98 (per Zillow data as of June 30, 2026), that more realistic annual revenue estimate implies a gross rental yield of approximately 20.4% before accounting for mortgage, taxes, insurance, cleaning, and management costs, an unusually strong figure even after adjusting for seasonality, reflecting Lillian’s combination of a sharp summer peak and comparatively modest home values.
Property tier data shows less separation than in many markets: entire-home listings average $498.28 per night, close to the all-listings rate, professionally managed listings average $556.64 (about 12% above the all-listings figure), and luxury-tier listings command $679.31 (roughly 37% above). Revenue momentum reflects occupancy up 2.12% year over year even as ADR is down 8.71%, with monthly revenue still up 1.92% year over year, a pattern of rate softening offset by stronger booking volume.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Lillian guests book an average of 80.99 days ahead of their stay, one of the longer lead times in this batch, and the average length of stay is 4.68 nights. This combination points to planned Gulf Coast vacations booked well in advance, likely alongside trips to nearby Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, rather than spontaneous regional visits.
For pricing, a booking window approaching 12 weeks gives owners substantial visibility into demand well ahead of the June and July peak, allowing early bookings to be priced firmly while later gaps can be discounted selectively closer to arrival. The 4.68 night average stay supports a standard weekly-adjacent vacation rental pattern. Given how concentrated Lillian’s demand is in the early summer window, owners should treat the long lead time as an opportunity to lock in peak-season bookings at full rate well before June and July arrive, rather than waiting and hoping for last-minute demand to fill the calendar.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Lillian is unincorporated, so short-term rentals are governed by Baldwin County’s Land Development Code (Sec. 16.75) rather than a town ordinance. The county regulates short-term vacation rentals through certification rather than banning them in residential zones. A rental is defined as a residential dwelling rented to transient guests for 30 consecutive days or less, and a residence rented fewer than 14 days per year is exempt from the definition entirely.
To operate legally, an owner must obtain a Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate from the Chief Building Official plus an occupation tax certificate, and remit applicable state and county taxes. The application requires owner contact information, a local 24-hour rental agent able to appear on-site within 24 hours of notice, a stated maximum overnight occupancy matching the listing, proof of ownership, and proof of homeowner’s insurance.
Under a recently amended ordinance, certificates now expire annually on December 31 with no automatic renewal, so owners must reapply each year to keep operating, and certificates are non-transferable, meaning a property sale requires a new application. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement and no cap on rental nights per year.
Taxes total 6.00%, made up of Alabama’s 4% state lodgings tax plus a 2% Baldwin County lodgings tax, on stays of 179 nights or fewer. Enforcement has recently tightened: violations are now assessed per day rather than per instance, and fines escalate within any 12-month period, from $500 to $1,000 for a first violation, to $1,000 for a second, up to $1,000 plus automatic certificate revocation for a third.
Market Comparison
Lillian’s 82.44% occupancy in June 2026 runs well above the roughly 55% median occupancy typically seen across the broader U.S. short-term rental market, and its $495.08 average daily rate is more than double the roughly $220 national median ADR. This combination reflects Lillian’s position within the broader Alabama Gulf Coast tourism corridor during peak summer season, even though the community itself is not a primary beach destination.
Top property manager data is not yet published for Lillian in the current data set, so this section cannot rank specific operators by listing count or rating the way other markets in this batch can. Given Lillian’s small population of about 1,330 and its character as a quiet bay community near larger Gulf Coast destinations, listings here may skew toward individual owners and smaller regional operators serving overflow demand from Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, though that has not been confirmed against a market snapshot. The area’s typical home value of $316,477.98, well below prices in the more built-up beach markets nearby, is a notable data point for investors weighing entry cost against Lillian’s strong summer revenue potential.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lillian, Alabama
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