Exercise Caution in Housing Rentals

August 13th, 2012 - Filed under: News

UA employees who received a recent email encouraging them to rent out their homes during football games and graduation weekends should be aware that they could be in violation of the Zoning Ordinance of Tuscaloosa (Chapter 24 of the Code of Tuscaloosa) if they do rent out their homes.

Such rentals could be considered a prohibited commercial or transient use of residential property in areas zoned residential. Sec. 24-5 of the ordinance defines a “dwelling” to be “any building which is arranged, designed, used, or intended to be used for residential occupancy by one or more families, not including motels and similar uses intended for the accommodation of transients. For more information regarding municipal regulations, contact Tuscaloosa’s Office of the City Attorney at 248-5140.

UA employees who take advantage of the free service mentioned in the email could also be in violation of the Alabama ethics law, specifically Section 36-25-5(a) of the Code of Alabama 1975, as amended, which makes it unlawful for public employees to use their official positions to obtain personal gain unless the gain is authorized by law.

Faculty and staff with questions about the Alabama ethics law and other legal matters related to their role as University employees are encouraged to contact the Office of Counsel at 348-5490.

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