Maybe you’re a landlord in Tuscaloosa and have some unruly Crimson Tide undergrads in your house. Or the apartment in which you’re living in Montgomery is sizzling and you can’t get the air conditioning fixed. In either case, knowing how The Yellowhammer State treats landlord-tenant relations can spare you quite a few headaches. This is an introduction to leases and rental agreements laws in Alabama.
Leases and Rental Agreement Law
State lease and rental agreement laws can vary depending on where you live, but are generally similar in the ways they regulate the landlord-tenant relationship. These laws standardize the time limits for leases, lay out what to do when a lease runs out, and protect against housing discrimination. Some states tend to have stricter tenant rights laws that pertain to altering the premises, notices for termination, and evictions.
Leases and Rental Agreements in Alabama
Alabama’s code regarding leases and rental agreement presumes that rents are set monthly, or by the length of time used to estimate the rental amount, but does not regulate the amounts landlords may charge for deposits or whether interest can accrue on deposit amounts. Lease and rental agreements laws in Alabama are highlighted in the table below.
| Code Section | Code of Alabama 24-8-4, et seq.: Alabama Fair Housing Law; Code of Alabama 35-9-4: Landlord and Tenant |
| Terms of Leases | Renting for an unspecified term is presumed to be for the length of time used to estimate the rental amount, in absence of agreement respecting length of time for rent, renting is presumed to be monthly |
| Deposits | - |
| Discrimination | No discrimination on basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin; municipal corporations may zone/regulate as to different classes of inhabitants, but not to discriminate against or favor any class of inhabitants; housing for older persons exempted |
| Uniform Residential Landlord & Tenant Act Adopted? | No |
Once an Alabama lease expires, the holdover tenancy likely becomes a month-to-month lease, unless it was originally on a shorter, week-to-week basis. If the tenancy is for a specific time period, no notice is necessary for the tenant to surrender possession.
Related Resources for Leases and Rental Agreements Laws
Real estate laws can be complex. You can contact an Alabama landlord-tenant attorney if you would like legal assistance with a lease or rental agreement matter of if you would like to understand your rights and responsibilities under Alabama’s leases and rental agreements. You can also visit FindLaw’s Leases and Rental Agreements section for additional articles and information on this topic.
