Renter rights by state

Alabama renter rights: the basics for first-time renters

Last reviewed: October 2026 · First Apartment Kit

Alabama's rules for most apartment and house rentals come from the Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Title 35, Chapter 9A of the Code of Alabama). Here is what a first-time renter needs to know.

Quick facts

Quick facts are simplified. Read the sections below for exceptions, and check your city or county too.

Security deposits

• Cap: no more than one month's rent, except that a landlord may collect added deposits for pets, changes you make to the premises, or activities that increase liability risk.
• Forwarding address: when you move out, give the landlord a valid forwarding address in writing.
• Return: within 60 days after the tenancy ends and you give back possession, the landlord must mail your refund and, if anything is kept, an itemized list of what was withheld.
• Penalty: if the landlord misses the 60-day deadline, they owe you double the original deposit.
• Don't forget it: an unclaimed deposit or uncashed refund check is forfeited after 90 days.

Rent increases and late fees

Alabama has no statewide rent control or set notice period for increases; for a month-to-month tenancy, changes generally come with the 30-day notice needed to end the tenancy. State law doesn't cap late fees, so read the late-fee clause before signing.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

Either you or the landlord can end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the rent date named in the notice. Week-to-week tenancies need 7 days. Staying after the tenancy ends without permission can make you liable for up to three months' rent or actual damages.

When the landlord can come in

You can't unreasonably refuse entry for inspections, repairs, or showings. Except in emergencies or when impractical, the landlord must give at least two days' notice and come at reasonable times. A note posted on your main door counts as notice. You can agree to shorter notice, and an advance written repair or pest-control schedule can serve as notice.

Repairs and living conditions

Landlords must keep the premises fit and habitable and comply with building and housing codes that materially affect health and safety. If they don't, give a written notice describing the problem and stating that the lease will end on a date at least 14 days later if it isn't fixed. If the landlord fixes it in time, the lease continues. You can also sue for damages. Alabama's law does not provide a general repair-and-deduct or rent-withholding right, so get advice before holding back rent.

Eviction basics

• Unpaid rent: the landlord must give written notice of the rent and late fees owed and that the lease will end at least seven business days after you receive it. Paying in that window cures it.
• Other violations: also a seven-business-day notice in most cases.
• Court only: a landlord who locks you out or willfully cuts off essential services can owe you up to three months' rent or your actual damages, whichever is greater, plus attorney's fees.

Retaliation and discrimination

A landlord can't raise rent, cut services, or threaten eviction because you complained to a housing code agency or to the landlord about health and safety problems, or because you organized or joined a tenant union. Retaliation is a defense to eviction, though you can still be evicted for unpaid rent. Federal fair housing law bans discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and familial status.

Move-in checklist for Alabama renters

• ☐ Get a written lease and read all of it before signing
• ☐ Get a receipt for the deposit and any move-in money
• ☐ Photograph every room, dated, before you unpack
• ☐ Fill out (or write your own) move-in condition list and keep a copy
• ☐ Note the rent due date, grace period, and late fee
• ☐ Write down how to request repairs, and do it in writing
• ☐ Save the landlord's legal name and address for notices
• ☐ Put your notice deadline for moving out in your calendar

Still apartment hunting? Our list of questions to ask a landlord before signing a lease covers deposits, fees, repairs, and move-out rules you will want answered in writing.

Where to get help in Alabama

• Alabama Attorney General — Consumer Interest Division — file a consumer complaint.
• Find free legal aid near you — the federal Legal Services Corporation's directory of local legal aid offices.
• File a housing discrimination complaint with HUD — the federal fair housing agency.

Official sources

These are the official state law and government pages we checked for every fact on this page. The law itself controls if anything here differs.

• Code of Ala. § 35-9A-201 (security deposits)
• Code of Ala. § 35-9A-303 (access)
• Code of Ala. § 35-9A-401 (tenant remedies)
• Code of Ala. § 35-9A-407 (unlawful ouster, interrupted services)
• Code of Ala. § 35-9A-421 (nonpayment notice)
• Code of Ala. § 35-9A-441 (periodic tenancies)
• Code of Ala. § 35-9A-501 (retaliation)
• Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act text, Alabama Unified Judicial System (PDF)

Not legal advice; laws change and cities may add rules. Check the official sources below or a local legal aid office. This page is a plain-language summary written by First Apartment Kit, not the law itself. Last reviewed: October 2026.

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