An Alabama eviction notice is a written notice a landlord serves on a tenant to end a tenancy for unpaid rent, a lease violation, or without cause, before filing an eviction case in court.
Alabama eviction notice templates let a landlord document a lease violation, an unpaid rent balance, or the end of a tenancy and give the tenant a chance to fix the problem or move out. The reason for the notice controls how much time Alabama law gives the tenant to respond.
The most common reason to serve an eviction notice form in Alabama is unpaid rent, but a landlord can also use one for a lease violation, a repeat violation, or to end a month-to-month or week-to-week tenancy without cause. Each reason carries its own notice period under state law.
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An Alabama eviction notice is also called a notice to quit, a notice to vacate, or a letter to quit. All three names refer to the same written notice a landlord serves before starting a court case.
Once a landlord decides to end a lease, Alabama law sets out exactly how the notice must be served and how much time the tenant gets to respond. A landlord who skips these steps risks having a court dismiss the eviction case, and the tenant keeps the right to remain in the unit until a judge orders otherwise.
The notice periods below apply to the most common reasons a landlord ends a tenancy in Alabama.
If rent is unpaid when due, the landlord must give the tenant written notice stating the amount owed, and the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than seven business days after receipt of the notice.[1] The tenant can avoid the eviction by paying the full amount before that date.
Alabama law does not set a grace period before a landlord can serve a nonpayment notice. The seven-business-day notice above begins as soon as the rent is late.
For a lease violation other than nonpayment, the landlord may deliver a written notice specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach. The rental agreement will then terminate on a date not less than seven business days after receipt of the notice.[1]
If the breach is not remedied within those seven business days, the rental agreement terminates on the date stated in the notice unless the tenant remedies the breach first.[1] A tenant may not cure a breach of the lease more than two times in any 12-month period, except with the landlord’s express written consent.[1]
A landlord or tenant who wants to end a month-to-month tenancy for reasons other than a violation must give the other party written notice at least 30 days before the next periodic rental date.[3]
| Rent Grace Period | None |
| Notice of Non-Payment | 7 business days[1] |
| Notice of Non-Compliance (Lease Violation) | 7 business days[1] |
| Month-to-Month Termination (No Cause) | 30 days[3] |
| Week-to-Week Termination (No Cause) | 7 days[3] |
| Governing Law | Ala. Code § 35-9A (Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) |
Alabama landlords use different eviction notices depending on why the tenancy is ending: nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, a repeat violation, intentional misrepresentation, nuisance or illegal activity, or the no-cause end of a month-to-month or week-to-week tenancy. Each notice states the reason and gives the tenant the exact number of days state law requires before the lease can terminate.
Used when the tenant has not paid rent. The notice states the amount owed and gives seven business days to pay in full or move out.[1]
Used for a violation other than nonpayment, such as an unauthorized pet or property damage. The tenant gets seven business days to fix the problem or move out.[1]
Some violations give the tenant no right to cure unless the landlord agrees.[1] These include a second breach involving substantially the same acts or omissions as a breach the landlord already gave notice for and the tenant already cured, when the second breach occurs within six months of the first.[1] They also include an intentional misrepresentation of a material fact in the rental agreement or application.[1]
Either the landlord or the tenant can end a month-to-month tenancy without giving a reason. The party ending it must give the other written notice at least 30 days before the next periodic rental date.[3]
A week-to-week tenancy can end the same way, but the notice period is shorter: at least seven days before the termination date stated in the notice.[3]
Serving an Alabama eviction notice starts a legal process with several required steps. The landlord must serve the notice properly, wait out the notice period, and only go to court if the tenant does not pay, cure the violation, or move out in time.
Choose one of the three templates relying on the reasons for your decision and generate a document. To achieve success, you are empowered to use our form-building software.
Define your identification, the address of the rental unit, and the reasons for creating the eviction notice. Depending on the type of the template, you’ll need to specify this or that information. Follow the requirements of the particular form.
When the document is ready, the time comes to send it to your tenant. We recommend using reliable certified mail providers, private services, or sheriff assistance.
Proof of service is your evidence that the tenant received the notice. The tenant should provide a signature confirming they were notified. With that proof on file, the landlord cannot be accused of skipping the required notice.
Do not use self-help. A landlord may not recover or take possession of the unit by action or otherwise outside the court process.[2] This includes willful diminution of services such as interrupting heat, running water, hot water, electric, or gas to the tenant, except in case of abandonment, surrender, or as permitted by law.[2]
By the time of the deadline specified in the eviction notice, the tenant must either pay the debt or leave the rented residence. If neither happens, the landlord obtains the legal power to file a lawsuit against the lessee in court.
If the tenant does not pay, cure the violation, or move out by the deadline, the case moves to court.
The Sheriff’s Office serves the complaint on the tenant, who then has a short window set by the court to file a response.
Both sides can present their case at the hearing, and the judge decides the outcome.
The tenant must get written notice at least seven business days before the landlord can end the lease for a violation.[1] The notice states the violation and gives the tenant that seven-day window to fix it or move out before the lease terminates.
No. Alabama law prohibits a landlord from removing a tenant or the tenant’s belongings, or shutting off utilities such as heat, water, or electricity, to force a move-out without going through the courts.[2] A landlord must file an eviction case and get a court order before retaking the unit.
Alabama does not require a specific state eviction notice form, but two court documents come up often once a case is filed: the complaint the landlord files to start the case, and the answer the tenant files in response. Both are described below.
The landlord completes this form to start the court case, then the Sheriff’s Office serves a copy on the tenant.
The tenant completes this form to respond to the State of Claim. It is typically due at court within seven days of receiving that notice.
This page is general information about Alabama eviction notices, not legal advice. For advice on your situation, talk to a Alabama landlord-tenant attorney.
Unless noted otherwise, the sources below are from the Ala. Code.