10 of the 10 rules below carry a statute citation that was read at the official source (most recently October 2026), with the controlling text quoted. The rest are conservative reference values from Aptoria's compliance data and are labeled unverified.
Security deposit size: One month's periodic rent, excluding additional security for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(a), confirmed 2026-10). Returning the deposit: 60 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession to refund the deposit with an itemized list of amounts withheld; first-class mailing to the tenant's written forwarding address within 60 days is sufficient. Failure to mail a timely refund or accounting = landlord owes double the original deposit. Unclaimed deposits/outstanding checks are forfeited by the tenant after 90 days. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(b)–(f), confirmed 2026-10).
How Alabama treats the landlord's core obligations
Late fees: No statewide statutory cap on late fees and no mandatory grace period. Rent 'is payable without demand or notice at the time and place agreed upon by the parties' (§ 35-9A-161(c)); late charges are a lease term. The only statutory time window is the 7-day pay-or-quit notice for nonpayment in § 35-9A-421(b), which is an eviction trigger, not a late-fee grace period. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-161(c); see § 35-9A-421(b), confirmed 2026-10). Application fees: No statewide statutory cap on rental application fees. The Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act leaves fees to the rental agreement ('terms and conditions not prohibited by this chapter or other law, including rent'); the only money-amount cap in the Act is the one-month limit on 'security' in § 35-9A-201(a), which does not address application fees. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-161(a); see § 35-9A-201(a), confirmed 2026-10).
Nonpayment notice: Written notice to terminate stating rent and late fees owed; termination date not less than seven BUSINESS days after receipt. If paid within the seven business days the lease does not terminate. Where nonpayment and another noncompliance coincide, the nonpayment seven-day period governs. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-421(b), confirmed 2026-10). Rent increases: No rent-increase-specific notice statute and no statewide rent cap (local rent control is preempted by § 11-80-8.1). On a month-to-month tenancy the only statutory mechanism to change terms is the 30-day written notice before the periodic rental date in § 35-9A-441(b), so treat 30 days as the operative notice for a rent increase. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-441(b); § 35-9A-161(a), confirmed 2026-10). Ending a month-to-month tenancy: 30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date specified in the notice (either party); week-to-week: 7 days. Willful bad-faith holdover exposes tenant to up to three months' rent or actual damages plus attorney's fees. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-441(b), confirmed 2026-10). Entry: At least two days' notice to enter, at reasonable times (except emergency, court order, abandonment, or where impracticable). A general notice or advance schedule exceeding two days for repairs/maintenance/pest control/health-safety service satisfies the requirement; a tenant's repair request is deemed consent to enter; posting a note on the primary entry door is a permitted notice method. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-303(c)–(e), confirmed 2026-10).
Alabama has no statewide rent regulation on file, so any cap on increases would come from a local ordinance. Source-of-income protection is not on file statewide, although cities and counties can add it. Card surcharges on rent: allowed within card-network limits. Managing property for others for compensation generally requires a state license: State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Security deposits
What Alabama allows a landlord to collect up front, how it must be held, and the deadline and paperwork for returning it.
Security deposit limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
One month's periodic rent, excluding additional security for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks.
“A landlord may not demand or receive money as security, in an amount in excess of one month's periodic rent, except for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks to the landlord or premises, for tenant's obligations under a rental agreement.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Pet, alteration and increased-liability deposits sit outside the one-month cap.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “1× monthly rent”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The maximum a landlord may collect up front as security against unpaid rent or damage, usually expressed as a multiple of one month's rent. Separate pet, key or cleaning deposits often count toward the same limit.
Deposit return deadline
Source-confirmed 2026-10
60 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession to refund the deposit with an itemized list of amounts withheld; first-class mailing to the tenant's written forwarding address within 60 days is sufficient. Failure to mail a timely refund or accounting = landlord owes double the original deposit. Unclaimed deposits/outstanding checks are forfeited by the tenant after 90 days.
“If the landlord fails to mail a timely refund or accounting within the 60-day period, the landlord shall pay the tenant double the amount of the tenant's original deposit.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Tenant must provide a written forwarding address on vacating; otherwise landlord mails to last known address or the property address (§ 35-9A-201(d)).
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “60 days after move-out”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The window after the tenant vacates in which the landlord must refund the deposit or deliver an itemized statement of deductions. Missing the deadline is the most common way a landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit.
Separate pet deposit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
A separate pet deposit is expressly allowed on top of the one-month security-deposit cap: the cap on money held as security applies 'except for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks'. No statutory cap on the pet-deposit amount; it is still 'security' subject to the 60-day return/itemization rule and the double-deposit penalty in § 35-9A-201(b)-(f).
“A landlord may not demand or receive money as security, in an amount in excess of one month's periodic rent, except for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks to the landlord or premises, for tenant's obligations under a rental agreement.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “Permitted”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a refundable pet deposit can be collected on top of the security deposit. Even where it is permitted, the combined amount usually has to stay inside the overall deposit limit.
In practice
• Hold the deposit the way the statute requires (separate or escrow account where applicable) and record the account in the file.
• Document move-in condition with a dated, photographed inventory the tenant can sign; it is the only evidence that supports a later deduction.
• Send the itemized statement and any refund by a trackable method, and keep the receipts or estimates behind every deduction.
Rent, late fees and application fees
The fees a Alabama lease can charge, the statutory ceilings that override the lease, and whether rent increases are regulated statewide.
Late fees
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statewide statutory cap on late fees and no mandatory grace period. Rent 'is payable without demand or notice at the time and place agreed upon by the parties' (§ 35-9A-161(c)); late charges are a lease term. The only statutory time window is the 7-day pay-or-quit notice for nonpayment in § 35-9A-421(b), which is an eviction trigger, not a late-fee grace period.
“Rent is payable without demand or notice at the time and place agreed upon by the parties. Unless otherwise agreed, rent is payable at the dwelling unit and periodic rent is payable at the beginning of any term of one month or less and otherwise in equal monthly installments at the beginning of each month.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Absence finding; Title 35, Ch. 9A contains no late-fee or grace-period provision in the sections read (§§ 35-9A-161, -201, -303, -421, -441).
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide cap (reasonableness standard)”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Any statutory ceiling on the fee for late rent and any mandatory grace period before it can be charged. Where there is no statutory cap, courts still strike fees they find punitive rather than a reasonable estimate of the landlord's cost.
Application fee limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No statewide statutory cap on rental application fees. The Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act leaves fees to the rental agreement ('terms and conditions not prohibited by this chapter or other law, including rent'); the only money-amount cap in the Act is the one-month limit on 'security' in § 35-9A-201(a), which does not address application fees.
“A landlord and a tenant may include in a rental agreement terms and conditions not prohibited by this chapter or other law, including rent, term of the agreement, and other provisions governing the rights and obligations of the parties.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
none caps or regulates application fees.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide cap”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
A cap on what an applicant can be charged to apply, sometimes limited to the actual cost of screening and sometimes prohibited outright. Fee receipts and refund rules usually travel with the cap.
Statewide rent regulation
Source-confirmed 2026-10
(b) Statewide preemption: no statewide rent cap, and local governmental units (counties, cities, towns, municipalities) may not enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance, resolution, or rule controlling the rent charged for leasing private property. Exception only for property in which the local unit itself has a property interest.
“A local governmental unit shall 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.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide rent regulation (check local ordinances)”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a statewide law caps annual rent increases or whether rent control exists for covered units. Local ordinances can add limits even where the state has none.
In practice
• State the late fee, the grace period and the application fee in the lease in dollars or a clear percentage; a fee that is not in the lease is rarely enforceable.
• Never charge above the statutory cap even when the lease says more; the excess is unenforceable and can expose the landlord to penalties.
• Keep fee calculations in the ledger so a tenant, a court or an auditor can reproduce them from the rent roll.
Notices, rent increases and termination
How much written notice Alabama requires before a rent increase, before ending a month-to-month tenancy, and before filing for nonpayment.
Rent-increase notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No rent-increase-specific notice statute and no statewide rent cap (local rent control is preempted by § 11-80-8.1). On a month-to-month tenancy the only statutory mechanism to change terms is the 30-day written notice before the periodic rental date in § 35-9A-441(b), so treat 30 days as the operative notice for a rent increase.
“The landlord or the tenant may terminate a month-to-month tenancy by a written notice given to the other at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified in the notice.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
30 days is derived from the periodic-tenancy rule, not an express rent-increase statute; the Act has no rent-increase provision.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The written notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect on a periodic (month-to-month) tenancy. Fixed-term leases generally cannot be changed mid-term.
Month-to-month termination notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date specified in the notice (either party); week-to-week: 7 days. Willful bad-faith holdover exposes tenant to up to three months' rent or actual damages plus attorney's fees.
“The landlord or the tenant may terminate a month-to-month tenancy by a written notice given to the other at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified in the notice.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a landlord must give to end a periodic tenancy without cause. Some jurisdictions require longer notice for long-term tenants or require a stated cause.
Pay-or-quit notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Written notice to terminate stating rent and late fees owed; termination date not less than seven BUSINESS days after receipt. If paid within the seven business days the lease does not terminate. Where nonpayment and another noncompliance coincide, the nonpayment seven-day period governs.
“If rent is unpaid when due, the landlord may deliver a written notice to terminate the lease to the tenant specifying the amount of rent and any late fees owed to remedy the breach and that the rental agreement will terminate upon a date not less than seven business days after receipt of the notice.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Other material noncompliance: also seven business days (§ 35-9A-421(a)); certain drug/firearm/assault/repeat breaches are noncurable on a seven-day notice (§ 35-9A-421(d)).
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “7 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a tenant must receive for nonpayment before the landlord can file for possession, and the time the tenant has to pay in full and cure. This is the step most often done wrong in an eviction.
In practice
• Serve notices in the form and by the method the statute names, and keep proof of service with the dated notice.
• Count notice periods the way the statute counts them (calendar days, business days, or "before the next rent due date") and build in a margin.
• Treat a notice to a possibly rent-regulated or subsidized unit as a legal check, because longer periods and extra content requirements usually apply.
Landlord entry
When a Alabama landlord may enter an occupied unit and how much notice the tenant must receive.
Non-emergency entry notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
At least two days' notice to enter, at reasonable times (except emergency, court order, abandonment, or where impracticable). A general notice or advance schedule exceeding two days for repairs/maintenance/pest control/health-safety service satisfies the requirement; a tenant's repair request is deemed consent to enter; posting a note on the primary entry door is a permitted notice method.
“the landlord may show the premises at any reasonable time by giving the tenant at least two days' notice of the landlord's intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Statute says 'two days', not '48 hours';
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “48 hours”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The advance notice required before a landlord enters an occupied unit for repairs, inspections or showings. Emergencies are the usual exception.
In practice
• Give written notice with the date, a reasonable time window and the purpose, and log the entry afterwards.
• Emergencies are the only common exception; document what made the entry urgent.
• A pattern of unannounced entries is a common basis for tenant complaints and counterclaims.
Payments, fair housing and licensing
Operational rules that sit outside the landlord-tenant act but decide how rent can be collected, who can be screened out, and who may manage for others.
Card surcharges on rent
Allowed within card-network limits
Returned-payment (NSF) fee
No statewide statutory cap on file
Source-of-income protection
No statewide protection on file
Local ordinances can extend protection beyond the statewide rule.
Property-management licensing
License generally required to manage for others
State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Compliance posture values are reference data compiled from public statutes and are not source-confirmed line by line. Confirm with the state agency before relying on them.
Alabama next to its neighbors
Own units on both sides of a state line? These are the reference values for every bordering jurisdiction. Open a state to see which values carry a citation.
Federal and state disclosures Aptoria's lease workflow surfaces for Alabama. This is a working checklist from public sources, not a complete legal inventory for a specific property.
• Lead-based paint hazards (pre-1978 housing) — EPA Pamphlet "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home"
Primary sources a Alabama landlord should bookmark. Each link was fetched and read during the October 2026 review; the binding text is always the current official version.
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Alabama?
One month's periodic rent, excluding additional security for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(a), confirmed 2026-10).
How long does a Alabama landlord have to return the security deposit?
60 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession to refund the deposit with an itemized list of amounts withheld; first-class mailing to the tenant's written forwarding address within 60 days is sufficient. Failure to mail a timely refund or accounting = landlord owes double the original deposit. Unclaimed deposits/outstanding checks are forfeited by the tenant after 90 days. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(b)–(f), confirmed 2026-10).
What is the maximum late fee in Alabama?
No statewide statutory cap on late fees and no mandatory grace period. Rent 'is payable without demand or notice at the time and place agreed upon by the parties' (§ 35-9A-161(c)); late charges are a lease term. The only statutory time window is the 7-day pay-or-quit notice for nonpayment in § 35-9A-421(b), which is an eviction trigger, not a late-fee grace period. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-161(c); see § 35-9A-421(b), confirmed 2026-10).
How many days does a Alabama pay-or-quit notice give the tenant?
Written notice to terminate stating rent and late fees owed; termination date not less than seven BUSINESS days after receipt. If paid within the seven business days the lease does not terminate. Where nonpayment and another noncompliance coincide, the nonpayment seven-day period governs. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-421(b), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice must a Alabama landlord give before entering?
At least two days' notice to enter, at reasonable times (except emergency, court order, abandonment, or where impracticable). A general notice or advance schedule exceeding two days for repairs/maintenance/pest control/health-safety service satisfies the requirement; a tenant's repair request is deemed consent to enter; posting a note on the primary entry door is a permitted notice method. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-303(c)–(e), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to raise rent in Alabama?
No rent-increase-specific notice statute and no statewide rent cap (local rent control is preempted by § 11-80-8.1). On a month-to-month tenancy the only statutory mechanism to change terms is the 30-day written notice before the periodic rental date in § 35-9A-441(b), so treat 30 days as the operative notice for a rent increase. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-441(b); § 35-9A-161(a), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to end a month-to-month tenancy in Alabama?
30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date specified in the notice (either party); week-to-week: 7 days. Willful bad-faith holdover exposes tenant to up to three months' rent or actual damages plus attorney's fees. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-441(b), confirmed 2026-10).
Does Alabama have statewide rent control?
No statewide rent regulation is on file for Alabama. Local ordinances can still limit increases, so check the city or county where the unit sits before setting a renewal rent.
Is source of income a protected class in Alabama?
No statewide source-of-income protection is on file for Alabama, but cities and counties can adopt it. Check local law before refusing a voucher or benefit income, and apply any screening criteria consistently.
Can a Alabama landlord add a surcharge for paying rent by card?
Allowed within card-network limits. Where a surcharge is allowed, it must still follow card-network rules and be disclosed before payment.
How this page was verified
Every rule is shown in one of two states. “Source-confirmed” means an editor opened the official statute page named next to the rule on the date shown, read the controlling text, and recorded the excerpt you see; the excerpt is quoted verbatim so you can check it. “Reference value” means Aptoria's compliance engine applies a conservative number for this rule, but nobody has yet tied it to a specific statute section on this page, so it must be checked before you rely on it.
This page meets Aptoria's evidence floor for publication (10 source-confirmed rules and 4 fetched official sources). Statutes change; local ordinances can be stricter; the facts of a tenancy change the result.