Rent increases in Alabama
Source: Ala. Code § 35-9A-441 (periodic tenancy); § 35-9A-501; § 11-80-8.1 · Checked against the statute
- Notice
- 7–30 days
- Statewide cap
- No statewide cap
- During a lease
- No state statute
- Local rent control
- Banned by state law
When can a rent increase start in Alabama?
Choose the state and the date the notice is given.
How much notice is required
Alabama has no statute specifically on rent-increase notice. A landlord changes the rent of a periodic tenancy by giving the written notice needed to end it: 30 days before a rent day for month-to-month, 7 days for week-to-week. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-441(a)-(b))
No separate rent-increase rule: the periods below are the notice to end a periodic tenancy.
| Applies to | When | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Month-to-month | — | 30 days |
| Week-to-week | — | 7 days |
- The notice must be in writing.
- The change can only start at the end of a rental period (on a rent day).
Example: a notice handed over on November 2, 2026 in Alabama
Earliest date the new rent can start, with rent due on the 1st, worked out from the Alabama rule above:
- For a month-to-month tenant of 1 year raising rent 5% or a month-to-month tenant of 3 years raising rent 12%: Friday, January 1, 2027
- For a week-to-week tenant raising rent 5%: Tuesday, December 1, 2026
Raising rent during a lease
No Alabama statute addresses raising rent during a fixed-term lease.
City and county rent control
Counties, cities and other local governments may not enact, maintain or enforce rules controlling the amount of rent for private property. (Ala. Code § 11-80-8.1)
Retaliatory rent increases
A landlord may not retaliate by discriminatorily increasing rent after a tenant complains to a housing-code agency or to the landlord about a § 35-9A-204 violation, or joins a tenants' union. The statute sets no presumption period. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-501)
Also good to know
- Termination rule from the Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Act 2006-316).
Other Alabama renting rules in numbers
- Security deposit
- Security may not exceed one month's periodic rent. Extra deposits are allowed for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks to the landlord or premises. Return deadline: 60 days after the tenancy terminates.
- Tenant's notice to move out
- 30 days, ending with a rental period
- Notice for unpaid rent
- 7 business days (pay or move out)
- How a written notice is delivered (eviction-notice rules)
- The notice must be written and delivered to the tenant (Ala. Code § 35-9A-421). The act's general notice rules do not apply to termination notices (§ 35-9A-144(e)), and the statute does not spell out a delivery method for the 7-day notice. The court papers (not the notice) must be served personally, or on a resident who is sui juris, or by posting on the door plus first-class mail (Ala. Code § 35-9A-461(c); § 6-6-332(b)).
- Notice for other lease violations
- 7 business days (fix it or move out)
- Small claims court limit
- $6,000 — where most deposit and rent disputes are filed.
- Repairs
- Time to repair: 14 days. Repair and deduct: not allowed; withholding rent: not allowed.
- Deposit kept wrongly
- If the landlord fails to mail a timely refund or accounting within 60 days, it must pay the tenant double the tenant's original deposit (§ 35-9A-201(f)).
- Lawful reasons to end a lease early
- Unit unlivable or landlord fails to repair; Landlord harassment or illegal entry
Sources
- Ala. Code § 35-9A-441 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- Ala. Code § 35-9A-501 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- Ala. Code § 11-80-8.1 Retrieved October 15, 2026.
Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 15, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; for a dispute, contact your state's legal aid. See our methodology.