In Alabama, most of the laws governing residential rental property are found within Alabama Code Title 35, Chapter 9A, known as the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The laws contained within this Act have been disclosed below.
Important Exclusions
Certain situations or circumstances are not governed by the the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. See Alabama Landlord and Tenant Exclusions.
Jurisdiction
Learn about the jurisdiction and service of process for landlord-tenant legal matters, especially for entities that originate out of state. See Alabama Landlord-Tenant Jurisdiction and Service of Process.
Definitions
When interpreting the laws of Alabama, it is important to understand how the legislature defines some of the most important terms contained within. See Alabama Landlord and Tenant Act Definitions.
Rental Agreements
Understand the basic laws governing the terms and conditions of a rental agreement and what happens when there isn’t one (or if it was never signed or delivered). See Alabama Rental Agreement Laws.
Security Deposits and Prepaid Rent
Landlords and tenants have various rights and obligations with regard to collecting and refunding security deposits as well as rent paid in advance. See Alabama Security Deposits and Prepaid Rent.
Landlord Required Disclosures
When entering into a rental agreement, a landlord is required to make certain disclosures to the tenant. These primarily center around the contact information for the ownership and management of the dwelling. See Alabama Disclosures.
Landlord Responsibility to Maintain Premises
Alabama law states that a landlord has a responsibility to maintain various aspects of a dwelling unit, but allows for exceptions when a tenant agrees to assume some of those responsibilities. See Alabama Landlord Responsibility to Maintain Premises.
Tenant Responsibility to Maintain Dwelling Unit
A tenant has various responsibilities when it comes to maintaining a dwelling unit including building code compliance, waste disposal, providing access to the property, and so on. See Alabama Tenant Responsibilities to Maintain Dwelling Unit.
Tenant Remedies
The state of Alabama allows various remedies for a tenant when a landlord fails to comply with the law or his or her contractual responsibilities under a rental agreement. Each remedy depends on a different set of circumstances as described under the following subsections:
- Alabama Landlord Noncompliance
- Alabama Landlord Failure to Deliver Possession
- Alabama Landlord Failure to Provide Essential Services
- Alabama Tenant Remedies for Fire or Casualty Damage
- Alabama Unlawful Removal of Tenant or Diminution of Services
Landlord Remedies
The state of Alabama provides various remedies for a landlord when a tenant is noncompliant with the law or a rental agreement. Each remedy is contingent on a particular set of circumstances as addressed in the following subsections:
- Alabama Tenant Noncompliance or Failure to Pay Rent
- Alabama Tenant Failure to Maintain Dwelling Unit
- Alabama Tenant Absence, Nonuse, and Abandonment
Periodic Tenancy Termination and Holding Over
A landlord and tenant may both exercise their right to terminate a short term tenancy by following Alabama notice requirements, but a tenant may not hold over at the end of the term without the landlord’s permission. See Alabama Periodic Tenancy Termination and Holding Over.
Landlord and Tenant Remedies for Abuse of Access
When it comes to gaining access to a dwelling unit, the law provides remedies for both landlords and tenants depending on the circumstances involved. See Alabama Landlord and Tenant Abuse of Access Remedies
Landlord Retaliatory Conduct Prohibited
A landlord may not take any retaliatory action against a tenant unless it is a lawful response that is permitted under the Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. See Alabama Landlord Retaliatory Conduct Prohibited.