Alabama notice periods
A Alabama landlord must give 30 days’ written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the tenant must give the same. A rent increase needs 30 days’ notice. For nonpayment, the landlord must serve a 7-business day notice to pay or quit before filing for eviction.
The Alabama rules in detail
30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date, by either party; 7 days for week-to-week
No statute specifically governs rent-increase notice; the 30-day figure is derived from the month-to-month termination rule in § 35-9A-441(b) (an increase is effectively a termination plus offer of new terms)
7 business days. The tenant may cure by paying everything owed within the period; after that the landlord may file for eviction. Because the period is counted in business days, weekends and holidays extend it.
Serving the notice
- Notice must be in writing. Text messages and emails count only where the lease or statute allows electronic notice.
- The clock starts when the notice is delivered, not when it is written. Mailed notices usually add days; check the statute’s service rules.
- Termination notices generally take effect at the end of a rental period. Served mid-month, a 30-day notice ends the tenancy at the end of the next full month.
- A fixed-term lease ends on its own date; these periods apply to month-to-month tenancies and to tenancies that continued after a lease expired.
Related Alabama rules
- Late fees: No statutory cap and no statutory grace period; no statute located. The Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Ala. Code Title 35, Ch. 9A) is silent on late fees; fee must be in the written lease and is subject to general reasonableness/unconscionability limits (confirmed via secondary sources only). Late fee calculator.
- Security deposit: 1 month's rent (additional deposits allowed for pets, alterations to the premises, or increased liability risks); returned 60 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession (itemized written notice plus any refund; calendar days). Deposit rules.
- All rules on one page: Alabama landlord and tenant law.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give a tenant to move out in Alabama?
30 days’ written notice for a month-to-month tenancy. 30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date, by either party; 7 days for week-to-week
How much notice does a tenant have to give in Alabama?
30 days’ written notice on a month-to-month tenancy. A fixed-term lease ends on its own date unless it says otherwise.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Alabama?
30 days. No statute specifically governs rent-increase notice; the 30-day figure is derived from the month-to-month termination rule in § 35-9A-441(b) (an increase is effectively a termination plus offer of new terms)
How long is a pay-or-quit notice in Alabama?
7 business days. The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the full amount within that time.
Does the notice have to end on the last day of the month?
In most states, yes: a termination notice on a periodic tenancy takes effect at the end of a rental period that is at least the required number of days after service. Serving on the 15th with a 30-day requirement typically ends the tenancy at the end of the following month, not 30 days later. The calculator shows both dates.