Alabama landlord and tenant rules

Seayora publishes 8 Alabama rules, covering security deposits, notice periods, rent regulation, tenant protections, contractor sales tax. Every one is composed from the statute it cites and links to that statute on the state’s own code site.

Alabama at a glance

RuleAlabama
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Alabama?60 days
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Alabama?1 month of rent
How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Alabama?7 business days to pay
How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Alabama?48 hours
How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Alabama?30 days
Is there rent control in Alabama?Prohibited by state law
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Alabama?Prohibited; no set period
Do contractors charge sales tax in Alabama?Consumer of materials

Security deposits in Alabama

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Alabama?

In Alabama, a landlord has 60 days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit, together with an itemised statement of any deductions. This is Ala. Code § 35-9A-201.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Alabama?

In Alabama, a security deposit is capped at 1 month of rent. One month's rent (pet/undue-risk deposits excluded). This is Ala. Code § 35-9A-201.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Notice periods in Alabama

How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Alabama?

In Alabama, before starting a nonpayment case a landlord must serve a written notice giving the tenant 7 business days to pay the rent due. The seven days are BUSINESS days, so a weekend or a public holiday extends the period a tenant actually has. This is Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-441, 35-9A-303, 35-9A-421.

Thirty days' written notice ends a month-to-month tenancy. Entry: two days' notice, and a note posted on the front door is a permitted way to give it. No statute sets a rent-increase notice period.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering in Alabama?

In Alabama, a landlord must give 48 hours notice before entering an occupied rental, other than in an emergency. This is Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-441, 35-9A-303, 35-9A-421.

Thirty days' written notice ends a month-to-month tenancy. Entry: two days' notice, and a note posted on the front door is a permitted way to give it. No statute sets a rent-increase notice period.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Alabama?

In Alabama, a landlord must give 30 days written notice to end a tenancy or decline to renew it. This is Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-441, 35-9A-303, 35-9A-421.

Thirty days' written notice ends a month-to-month tenancy. Entry: two days' notice, and a note posted on the front door is a permitted way to give it. No statute sets a rent-increase notice period.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Rent regulation in Alabama

Is there rent control in Alabama?

No. Alabama has no statewide rent control, and its cities and counties cannot simply adopt their own: a city, county or other local government may not enact, maintain or enforce an ordinance, resolution or rule that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private property. This is Ala. Code § 11-80-8.1.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Tenant protections in Alabama

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Alabama?

No. In Alabama, a landlord may not retaliate by singling a tenant out for a rent increase or a cut in services, or by bringing or threatening an eviction, because the tenant complained to a code enforcement agency about a health or safety violation, complained to the landlord about a required repair, or joined a tenants’ union. Alabama sets no period in which retaliation is presumed. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is Ala. Code § 35-9A-501.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Contractor sales tax in Alabama

Do contractors charge sales tax in Alabama?

In Alabama a contractor is treated as the CONSUMER of the materials they build into real property. That means the contractor pays sales tax when they buy the materials, and does not add sales tax to the customer's invoice for that work — the tax is already inside the price. Alabama also has county, city or special-district rates on top of the state rate, so the rate depends on where the job site is, not where the contractor is based. Source: Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-6-1-.46 (contractors are the consumers of materials they incorporate into realty).

Local rates are levied by counties and municipalities, many self-administered; a state-only quote in Alabama is materially short.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Sources

  • Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-6-1-.46 (contractors are the consumers of materials they incorporate into realty).
  • Ala. Code § 11-80-8.1
  • Ala. Code § 35-9A-201
  • Ala. Code § 35-9A-501
  • Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-441, 35-9A-303, 35-9A-421

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

This is a summary of a state’s published guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rates and rules change, local jurisdictions add their own, and the treatment of a specific job depends on the contract and the work. Check the citation and speak to a CPA or a state tax adviser before relying on it.

How Seayora uses these rules

Security deposits. Seayora computes the deadline this rule sets from the tenancy’s own dates, shows it on the deposit statement, and reminds the landlord before it falls due — so the answer above is not reference material sitting beside the product, it is the rule the product enforces.

Notice periods. Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.

Rent regulation. This page states whether the state lets its cities control rent, and any statewide limit on an increase, so a renewal can be checked before it is offered. In New York City, Seayora’s rent-increase advisor goes further: it computes the highest increase the Rent Guidelines Board order and the Good Cause standard allow for each apartment, with the law cited, and gives no number where the law is not verified.

Tenant protections. When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.

Contractor sales tax. Seayora resolves this rule on every invoice a contractor raises — per line, from the job site’s own address — and prints the rate, the jurisdiction and this citation on the document itself, so the estimate a customer accepts is the invoice they are billed. Where the rule is more nuanced than a single answer, Seayora refuses to guess a total rather than quoting a confident wrong one.

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