How to become a landlord in Alabama

At or before the start of the tenancy, disclose to the tenant in writing the name and business address of the person authorized to manage the premises and of an owner, or a person authorized to act for the owner, for service of process and for receiving notices and demands. Keep the information current (Ala. Code § 35-9A-202(a), (b)).

• A rule or regulation is enforceable only if, among other conditions, the tenant had notice of it when signing the lease or when it was adopted (Ala. Code § 35-9A-302(b)).
• The Act requires no flood, mold or other property condition disclosure (Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-101 to 35-9A-603).

At or before the start of the tenancy, give the tenant in writing the name and business address of the person authorized to manage the premises and of an owner, or a person authorized to act for the owner, for service of process and for receiving notices and demands. A person who fails to do so becomes the agent of each landlord for service of process and notices, and for performing the landlord's duties, including spending the rent collected for that purpose (Ala. Code § 35-9A-202(a), (c)).

• Keep the information current; the duty also binds any successor landlord, owner or manager (Ala. Code § 35-9A-202(b)).
• After a good faith sale, you are relieved of liability for later events once you give the tenant written notice of the sale, but you stay liable for the deposit and prepaid rent. A manager is relieved for events after written notice to the tenant that the management has ended (Ala. Code § 35-9A-205).

The Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act requires no flood zone or flood history disclosure to tenants (Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-101 to 35-9A-603).

• The only written disclosure the Act requires is the name and business address of the manager and of an owner or owner's agent (Ala. Code § 35-9A-202(a)).See Landlord and manager identity on the Alabama page

The Act has no smoke alarm provision of its own. It requires you to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety, and the state and local codes that may require smoke alarms were not read for this page (Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-101 to 35-9A-603; Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)).

• The tenant must meet the obligations building and housing codes place mainly on tenants, and must use the unit's facilities in a reasonable manner (Ala. Code § 35-9A-301(1), (5)).

The Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has no lock, deadbolt or rekeying requirement. Your general duties still apply: follow building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and keep common areas clean and safe (Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-101 to 35-9A-603; Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1), (a)(3)).

• Local building and housing codes may set lock rules, and cities may enforce such codes if they apply equally to similar owner-occupied homes (Ala. Code § 35-9A-121; Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)).

You may not demand or receive more than one month's periodic rent as security for the tenant's obligations under the lease. The limit does not cover security taken for pets, for changes to the premises, or for increased liability risks to you or the premises (Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(a)).

• At the end of the tenancy, security may be applied to accrued rent and to damage the tenant caused by failing to meet the tenant duties in the Act, all itemized in a written notice (Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(b); Ala. Code § 35-9A-301).
• A lease term in which the tenant waives the Act's security deposit requirements is unenforceable. If you knowingly try to enforce a prohibited term, the tenant may recover actual damages plus up to one month's periodic rent and reasonable attorney's fees (Ala. Code § 35-9A-163(a)(1), (b)).
• If you sell the property in a good faith sale, you stay liable to the tenant for the security the tenant can recover and for all prepaid rent (Ala. Code § 35-9A-205(a)).

The Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act does not require you to keep deposits in a separate or interest-bearing account and does not require you to pay interest on them (Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-101 to 35-9A-603).

• The Act's deposit section covers the amount limit, what the deposit may be applied to, and the refund; it says nothing about where the money is held (Ala. Code § 35-9A-201).

The Act does not require a move-in inspection or a written condition report. At move-out the deposit may be applied to accrued rent and to damage from the tenant's failure to meet the tenant duties, so a dated record of the home's condition at move-in helps you support each deduction (Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-101 to 35-9A-603; Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(b)).

• At the start of the term you must deliver possession in compliance with the lease and your maintenance duties (Ala. Code § 35-9A-203).
• The tenant must not deliberately or negligently destroy, deface, damage, impair or remove any part of the premises, or knowingly, recklessly or negligently let anyone else do so (Ala. Code § 35-9A-301(6)).

The Act sets no limit on application or screening fees and no refund rule for them. An intentional misrepresentation of a material fact in a rental application is a breach you may end the lease for, and it cannot be cured (Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-101 to 35-9A-603; Ala. Code § 35-9A-421(a)).

• Screening must not treat applicants differently because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin or disability (the statute says handicap) (Ala. Code § 24-8-4).See Fair housing on the Alabama page
• Alabama's fair housing law lets an application ask the number, age, sex and familial relationship of the applicants and intended occupants and whether any intended occupant was convicted of illegally manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance, and it does not bar acting on such a conviction (Ala. Code § 24-8-7(f), (l)).