Alabama Eviction Notice Requirements

Alabama's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets the notice rules in Code of Alabama § 35-9A-421. For unpaid rent, the landlord delivers a written notice stating the rent and any late fees owed and that the rental agreement will end no sooner than seven business days after the tenant receives it. A material lease violation calls for a similar notice of at least seven business days, and the tenant can cure in that time. Ending a month-to-month tenancy takes at least 30 days' written notice under § 35-9A-441.

The notice should be in writing, name the tenant and the property, and state the amount owed or describe the specific acts or omissions that broke the agreement. Because the periods are counted in business days from receipt, weekends and holidays do not count, so keep proof of how and when you delivered it. A tenant may cure a breach no more than two times in 12 months without the landlord's written consent, and some serious conduct, such as illegal drug activity, cannot be cured at all.

If the tenant does not pay, cure or move out, the next step is an eviction case in the district or circuit court for the county where the property is located. Alabama law does not allow self-help: under § 35-9A-427, a landlord may not take back the unit by any means other than the court process, including by cutting off heat, water, electricity, gas or other essential services. A tenant who is unlawfully locked out can recover damages under § 35-9A-407.