Alabama Landlord Tenant Rental Laws & Rights for 2025

Overview of Alabama Tenant-Landlord Law

Stop Googling in a panic. If you're renting a place in Alabama—whether you own it or you're just trying to live in it—the rules here are a unique blend of "common sense" and "watch your step." I've managed properties from Mobile to Huntsville, and I've seen good people on both sides lose money because they didn't know the few, critical details that actually matter.

Consider this your no-BS field guide. I'll link to the actual Alabama Code so you can verify, but I'll tell you what it means on the ground.

⚖️ The Alabama Mindset: Your Lease is King (Mostly)

First, understand the Alabama philosophy: the state sets a bare minimum floor, but your written lease is the supreme law of your rental. The Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) provides a framework, but much is left to what you put in writing. A vague lease is a lawsuit waiting to happen. For both sides, a tight, clear lease isn't just paperwork—it's your primary weapon.

💰 Security Deposits: The 35-Day Sword of Damocles

Forget everything you've heard about other states. Alabama's rule is simple but strict: Landlords have 35 days after move-out to return the deposit or send an itemized list of deductions. Not 36. Thirty-five. This is per Alabama Code § 35-9A-201.

Landlords, listen up: The clock starts when the tenant vacates AND provides you a forwarding address. If you withhold a dime, your itemized list must be so detailed it would bore a CPA. "For damages - $300" will get you laughed out of small claims court. It needs to be: "$150 to repaint south bedroom wall to cover 12 unauthorized nail holes and spackling; $150 to professionally clean carpet to remove pet stains (per lease violation)."

The Nuclear Option for Tenants: If your landlord blows the 35-day deadline, you can sue for up to DOUBLE the amount wrongfully withheld. Suddenly, that $800 deposit is worth $1,600. I've seen judges award it. It's the law (§ 35-9A-201(c)).

PRO TIP FOR EVERYONE: Move-in/move-out photos/videos are not optional. They are evidence. Tenants, email them to your landlord to timestamp them. Landlords, use a digital inspection app. "Normal wear and tear" is a faded paint job. "Damage" is your tenant's attempt at an accent wall in neon green.

🔧 Repairs & The "Repair & Deduct" Treadmill

Here's where tenants often shoot themselves in the foot. Your landlord is required to provide a habitable place (working heat, plumbing, no bug infestations, etc.). If they don't fix something, you have a remedy, but it's a narrow path.

The Legal Process (Alabama Code § 35-9A-204):

1. Send Written Notice. A text won't cut it in court. Send an email or letter. "The HVAC unit is not cooling. Indoor temperature is 85°F."
2. Wait 14 Days. Alabama law gives the landlord 14 days to make the repair.
3. You Can THEN "Repair & Deduct." If they don't act, you can hire a pro, pay them, and deduct the cost from your next rent. BUT—and this is huge—the deduction is capped at the LESSER of one month's rent or $300. That's it. A new AC unit costs $5,000? This remedy won't cover it. Your option then is to sue or, if the place is truly uninhabitable, break the lease.

WARNING: DO NOT JUST STOP PAYING RENT. Alabama is not a "rent withholding" state for general repairs. Withhold rent, and your landlord can serve you a 7-Day Notice to Quit for non-payment, and they will win. Use the tool the law gives you, exactly as prescribed.

🚪 Evictions: The 7-Day Blitzkrieg

Compared to other states, Alabama's eviction process is relatively fast. This is the most critical area to understand.

• Non-Payment of Rent? That's a 7-Day Notice to Quit (Alabama Code § 35-9A-421(b)).
• Violated the Lease (noise, pet, damage)? That's also a 7-Day Notice to Quit. If the issue can be fixed (like removing an unauthorized pet), the tenant can "cure" it within those 7 days to stop the eviction.

If the tenant doesn't pay, fix, or leave after those 7 days, the landlord can file an Unlawful Detainer lawsuit. Hearings happen quickly. If the landlord wins, the court issues a Writ of Possession, and the sheriff will carry out the lockout.

THE GOLDEN RULE FOR LANDLORDS: You cannot "self-help." Changing locks, throwing belongings out, or cutting power is illegal (§ 35-9A-407). It turns you from the plaintiff into the defendant faster than you can say "counterclaim."

For Tenants: If you get that 7-day notice, treat it with the urgency of a five-alarm fire. It is not a bluff. Once the court judgment is entered, it will be on your public record, torpedoing your credit and rental future for years.

📈 Rent, Leases, and "Reasonable" Expectations

• No Rent Control: Zip. Zero. Nada. Alabama state law prohibits cities from enacting rent control (Alabama Code § 11-80-8.1). Your landlord can raise the rent as much as they want when your lease ends. For month-to-month tenants, they just need to give 30 days' notice.
• Verbal Leases ARE Legal for terms less than one year. But are you insane? Get it in writing. Always. A verbal agreement is a "he said, she said" nightmare.
• Privacy & Entry: Landlords must give "reasonable notice" before entering, which is universally interpreted as 48 hours in Alabama, except for emergencies. Respect goes both ways.

⚠️ The Hidden Traps: Discrimination & Retaliation

Alabama follows the Federal Fair Housing Act. You cannot discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. Period. Some cities like Birmingham have expanded protections.

Retaliation is also illegal (Alabama Code § 35-9A-501). If a tenant files a legitimate repair request or complains to a health inspector, a landlord cannot respond by raising rent, cutting services, or starting an eviction within 6 months. The burden of proof shifts to the landlord to prove the action wasn't retaliatory.

😩 "This is Why I Use Hemlane" – An Alabama Confessional

After trying to manage my first few Alabama properties with a spreadsheet and a filing cabinet, I almost quit. The stress of tracking that exact 35-day deposit deadline, generating legally perfect 7-day notices, and maintaining an ironclad ledger for court was a second, terrible job.

That’s the hole Hemlane fills for me. It’s my Alabama-specific compliance brain.

• When rent is late, it doesn’t just remind me—it drafts the correct 7-day notice based on Alabama Code.
• It tracks that 35-day security deposit countdown like a hawk.
• Every maintenance request, every message, every payment is logged in a single, searchable, court-ready record. No more panic before a hearing.

For my tenants, it just means things work. They report a leak in the portal, it gets assigned to my plumber in Decatur, and they can see the status. It creates professional, transparent accountability.

In a state where procedures move fast and leases rule, trying to manage it all from your inbox is a recipe for a costly mistake. Hemlane is the system that handles the procedure, so I can focus on the people and the property.

[If the thought of missing a critical Alabama deadline keeps you up at night, see how Hemlane automates the legal guardrails.]

📚 Alabama Law: Go to the Source

• Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act: Alabama Code Title 35, Chapter 9A. This is the full law.
• Alabama Legal Help: A great resource for tenants on housing issues.
• HUD Fair Housing: For discrimination complaints.

One last, crucial disclaimer: I'm a property manager who's learned these laws the hard way. I am NOT your attorney. This guide is practical insight, not legal advice. If you're facing an eviction or a major lawsuit, for the love of your wallet, hire a qualified Alabama landlord-tenant lawyer. It's the best money you'll ever spend.