Alton, Illinois Short-Term Rental Market
Alton, IL caps non-owner-occupied STR permits at about 26 citywide, with new applications recently denied.
Quick Answer: Alton, Illinois is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the St. Louis market area is 70%. average monthly revenue in the St. Louis market area is $3,187. average daily rate in the St. Louis market area is $168.
Market data reflects the St. Louis regional market, which includes Alton. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Alton.
Market Overview
Alton is a historic Mississippi River town of about 25,279 people in Madison County, Illinois, roughly 20 miles north of St. Louis and the anchor of the Great Rivers & Routes tourism region. The city actively regulates short-term rentals under City Code Title 4, Chapter 22, splitting permits into Type A (owner-occupied, owner present during stays) and Type B (non-owner-occupied). Type B units, the kind most investors want, require a non-transferable special use permit approved case-by-case by City Council, are capped at roughly 0.2% of the city’s residential housing stock (about 26 properties citywide), and must sit at least 500 feet apart. The council has been actively enforcing that scarcity: a Type B application at 409 E. 3rd Street was rejected 0-6 in July 2026. On the performance side, StaySTRA tracks Alton’s short-term rental data at the Metro East regional level, shared with Caseyville, Edwardsville, and Millstadt, so the following figures describe the Alton area STR market rather than Alton alone. That regional market averaged a $168.40 ADR and 69.5% occupancy in June 2026, the most recent month tracked, producing $117.07 RevPAR and $3,187 in average monthly revenue. Year over year, occupancy in the Alton area is down 5.1% and revenue is down 4.0%, even as ADR rose 2.6%, a pattern consistent with a market absorbing fewer bookings at a slightly higher rate.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49% | $99 | $1,455 |
| Feb | 58% | $106 | $1,533 |
| Mar | 66% | $122 | $2,225 |
| Apr | 62% | $121 | $2,043 |
| May | 65% | $131 | $2,291 |
| Jun | 70% | $139 | $2,616 |
| Jul | 69% | $132 | $2,547 |
| Aug | 64% | $129 | $2,319 |
| Sep | 61% | $125 | $2,064 |
| Oct | 61% | $126 | $2,170 |
| Nov | 57% | $117 | $1,860 |
| Dec | 55% | $114 | $1,799 |
Investment Analysis
The single biggest investment variable in Alton is not the STR data, it is the permit cap. Non-owner-occupied (Type B) permits are limited to roughly 26 properties citywide, require 500 feet of spacing from other short-term rentals, and are approved individually by City Council, which has shown it will vote down applications (a July 2026 request was denied 0-6). Anyone underwriting a non-owner-occupied Alton STR should confirm remaining permit capacity and spacing eligibility with the city before purchase, since the number of available Type B slots may already be filled by existing licenses. Owner-occupied (Type A) operation, where the owner is present during stays, faces no such numeric cap and is the lower-friction path into the market. On performance, the Alton area (the Metro East regional STR market shared with Caseyville, Edwardsville, and Millstadt) generated $3,187 in average monthly revenue in June 2026, down 4.0% year over year even as ADR rose 2.6% to $168.40, a sign that occupancy softness (down 5.1% year over year) is offsetting rate gains. Home value and housing-cost data are not published for this area, so a gross yield calculation cannot be produced here; investors will need a separate comparable-sales pull to weigh acquisition cost against the capped-supply revenue picture.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking lead time and average length of stay are not yet published in the dataset for the Alton area, so specific pricing-window guidance is not available here. The seasonal pattern does suggest a moderate, not extreme, booking rhythm: occupancy stays above 60% from March through September, with only a gentle dip into the upper 50s and 60s during typical shoulder months, rather than the sharp on/off swings seen in more seasonal destination markets. That steadier year-round pattern is consistent with Alton’s mix of demand drivers, St. Louis-area weekend getaways, river and history tourism, and the region’s haunted-tourism niche, spread across most of the year rather than concentrated in a short peak window.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Alton actively permits and regulates short-term rentals under City Code Title 4, Chapter 22, and the regime is restrictive for non-owner-occupied operators. Units split into Type A, owner-occupied with the owner present during guest stays, and Type B, non-owner-occupied, which requires a non-transferable special use permit approved case-by-case by City Council. As of June 2025, Type B units must sit at least 500 feet apart from other short-term rentals, are capped at roughly 0.2% of the city’s residential housing stock (about 26 properties citywide), must install noise-monitoring devices checked at annual safety inspections, and must provide at least one off-street parking space per bedroom. Owners who live more than 25 miles away must name a local point of contact. Maximum occupancy is 8 guests. The council has enforced the cap in practice: a Type B special use permit application at 409 E. 3rd Street was rejected 0-6 in July 2026. Guests pay the city’s 8% hotel room tax, plus, since July 1, 2025, the Illinois state Hotel Operators’ Occupation Tax of 6% of 94% of gross receipts, both collected through booking platforms. Permit fee amounts and any annual night limits are not published in this dataset. Enforcement here is classified as strict; investors should treat the Type B cap, not market demand, as the binding constraint on new supply.
Market Comparison
Nationally, short-term rentals typically run around 55% occupancy and a $220 ADR. The Alton area’s June 2026 figures, 69.5% occupancy and a $168.40 ADR, show occupancy running well above the national benchmark while ADR runs well below it, a pattern consistent with a lower-cost Midwest secondary market that fills at a high rate rather than commanding premium nightly rates. Property manager market share and per-listing-type performance data are not yet published for this area, so a direct comparison to competing operators is not possible here. The more relevant comparison for Alton specifically is regulatory: unlike many markets where the constraint is demand, Alton’s non-owner-occupied supply is capped by City Council policy at roughly 26 permits citywide, so competitive dynamics here are shaped more by permit scarcity than by market saturation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Alton, Illinois
Is there a cap on short-term rental permits in Alton, IL?
Has Alton denied short-term rental permit applications?
What is the difference between Type A and Type B short-term rentals in Alton?
What occupancy taxes apply to Alton short-term rentals?
What is the average daily rate for short-term rentals in the Alton area?
What is the busiest month for short-term rentals in the Alton area?
Are short-term rental performance numbers unique to Alton?
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