Housing & Tenant · Eviction Notice
Eviction Notice in Alabama
How many days of written notice a landlord must give before filing an eviction in Alabama, broken down by reason, and what you can do about it, cited to the statute.
Every notice period in Alabama
The written notice for each reason a landlord can end a tenancy, and what each one means.
| Reason for the notice | Notice in Alabama | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent | Can fix and stay7 business days | The landlord delivers a written notice to terminate stating the rent and any late fees owed, with a termination date not less than seven business days after the tenant receives it (Ala. Code 35-9A-421(b)). Business days exclude weekends and holidays, so the real window runs longer than seven calendar days. |
| Curable lease or health-and-safety violation | Can fix and stay7 business days | A material noncompliance with the lease, or with the tenant health-and-safety duties in Ala. Code 35-9A-301, carries a written notice with the same seven business days to fix the problem or leave (Ala. Code 35-9A-421(a)). Alabama caps this right to cure at twice in any twelve months without the landlord agreeing. |
| Misrepresentation on the lease or application | No cure period | An intentional misrepresentation of a material fact in the lease or the rental application cannot be remedied. The statute lets the landlord terminate without giving a chance to cure (Ala. Code 35-9A-421(a)). |
| Drug, firearm, or assault activity on the premises | 7 days | Drug manufacture, possession, or use, unlawful firearm use or possession, a criminal assault on the premises, or a substantially similar breach within six months of a prior one lets the landlord terminate on a written notice with no chance to cure (Ala. Code 35-9A-421(d)). |
| No-cause end of a month-to-month tenancy | 30 days | Ending a month-to-month tenancy for no reason takes a 30-day written notice under Ala. Code 35-9A-441. A week-to-week tenancy takes 7 days. |
| After the notice | Court | After the notice period runs, the landlord files an unlawful detainer action. Chapter 9A sets the notice, and the court process that follows sits outside Ala. Code 35-9A-421. Only a court order carried out by an officer can actually remove a tenant. |
| Statute | Ala. Code §35-9A-421; §35-9A-441 | The controlling statute for these notice periods. Read the full text through the source link below. |
Alabama caps a tenant right to cure at twice in any twelve-month period without the landlord consenting, so a third curable breach inside a year converts an otherwise fixable notice into a terminating one (Ala. Code 35-9A-421(d)).
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps if you have received an eviction notice in Alabama. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Read the notice and count business days
Find the termination date on the notice and check that it is at least seven business days out. Weekends and holidays do not count, so the real deadline is often later than seven calendar days from when you received it.
- Fix it or pay if the ground is curable
For unpaid rent or a curable lease violation you have those seven business days to pay or fix the problem and keep the tenancy. Get written confirmation that the tenancy continues, and remember the cure right is limited to twice in a twelve-month period.
- Respond to the court case
If you do not leave, the landlord files an unlawful detainer action and you are served with court papers. Respond by the deadline and appear at the hearing with your lease, receipts, and any messages. A tenant who does not show up can lose by default.
- Get local legal help
A local Alabama legal aid office can explain the notice, the deadline, and the court steps, and may be able to represent you. Search for legal aid in your county and act before the hearing date, when you have the most options.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the notice that applies to your home.
What Alabama renters get wrong
Alabama runs its evictions on the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, and the nonpayment notice is measured in business days, not calendar days. For unpaid rent the landlord must deliver a written notice to terminate that states the rent and any late fees owed and sets a move-out date not less than seven business days after the tenant receives it (Ala. Code 35-9A-421(b)). Because weekends and holidays do not count, the real window usually runs longer than a week. A curable lease or health-and-safety violation carries the same seven business days to fix it or leave, but Alabama caps that right to cure at twice in any twelve months, so a third fixable breach in a year converts the notice into a terminating one. Two grounds give no chance to cure at all: an intentional misrepresentation on the lease or application, and drug, firearm, or assault activity on the premises. Ending a month-to-month tenancy for no reason is separate and takes a 30-day notice under Ala. Code 35-9A-441. After the notice runs, the landlord files an unlawful detainer action, and only a court order can remove a tenant.
Common questions
How many days notice does a landlord give before eviction in Alabama?
For unpaid rent, at least seven business days under Ala. Code 35-9A-421(b), counted after you receive a written notice to terminate that states the rent and late fees owed. Ending a month-to-month tenancy for no cause instead takes a 30-day notice under Ala. Code 35-9A-441.
Are the seven days business days or calendar days in Alabama?
Business days. The Alabama statute says not less than seven business days, so weekends and holidays are not counted, and the real deadline is usually later than seven calendar days from the date you got the notice.
Can I fix the problem and avoid eviction in Alabama?
For unpaid rent or a curable lease violation, yes. You have those seven business days to pay or fix it and keep the tenancy, but Alabama limits the cure right to twice in any twelve months. Some grounds, such as a misrepresentation on the application or drug, firearm, or assault activity, give no chance to cure.
What happens after the notice period ends in Alabama?
If you have not left, the landlord files an unlawful detainer action and you are served with court papers. You can appear and contest it. Only a court order carried out by an officer can remove you, and a landlord cannot change the locks or shut off utilities to force you out.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.