Alabama Eviction Notice
Create a free Alabama eviction notice with the state's required notice periods built in. Pick the notice type, fill in the details, and download a PDF.
Alabama notice periods
Nonpayment: 7 days · Lease violation (cure): 7 days · No-cause termination: 30 days.
Tenant Name(s)
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⚠ Alabama requires a 7-day notice for a notice to pay rent or quit; the count runs from the date of SERVICE, and some states exclude weekends/holidays — verify before relying on a date. 7 BUSINESS days, not calendar days. Under Ala. Code 35-9A-421(b), if rent is unpaid when due, the landlord may deliver written notice specifying the rent (and any late fees) owed and stating the rental agreement terminates on a date not less than 7 business days after the tenant receives the notice. If the tenant pays/remedies in full within those 7 business days, the tenancy continues. If a single set of facts triggers both 421(a) and 421(b), the 421(b) nonpayment 7-business-day notice governs. There is no separate statutory grace period; the due date is set by the lease.
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (Alabama)
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
Date of Notice: ________________
From (Landlord/Agent): [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS]
To: [TENANT NAME(S)], Tenant(s) in possession of: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent is now due and unpaid in the amount of $________. This amount is for unpaid RENT only and excludes late fees, utilities, and other charges unless your state and lease allow them.
You are required to PAY the full amount of rent due within 7 days after this notice is served on you, OR to vacate and surrender possession of the property. Payment must be made to [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], by cash, check, or money order. If you mail payment, it must be RECEIVED by the deadline.
If you do not comply with this notice within the time stated, the landlord may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the property under Ala. Code 35-9A-421 (noncompliance with rental agreement; failure to pay rent) and 35-9A-441 (periodic tenancy; holdover remedies), Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Title 35, Chapter 9A.
Only a court can order you to move out. The landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your belongings, or shut off your utilities; doing so is illegal.
This notice is given without waiving, and the landlord expressly reserves, all other rights and remedies, including the right to recover unpaid rent and damages.
How this notice may be served: The Act requires written notice 'delivered' to the tenant, and the 421 notice periods run from the tenant's RECEIPT ('after receipt of the notice'). Note that the general notice-receipt rules in Ala. Code 35-9A-144 expressly DO NOT apply to a notice to terminate a tenancy or evict a tenant (35-9A-144(e)). Service of the eviction (unlawful detainer) action and related termination notices is governed by the eviction-action statute (35-9A-461) and the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure / unlawful detainer service rules, which contemplate personal service or, where the tenant cannot be found, posting a copy on the premises door plus first-class mail by the sheriff/process server (service by posting complete as of the date of mailing). Best practice is personal delivery plus first-class mail and documenting the receipt date. (The spec's prior citation to 35-9A-161 was incorrect; 35-9A-161 covers terms and conditions of the rental agreement, not service.)
_______________________________________
[LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] — Landlord / Authorized Agent
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
Date: ________________
PROOF OF SERVICE
I served this notice on the tenant(s) on ____________ (date).
Method of service (use a method permitted in your state — see the service note above):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________ Date: ____________
Signature of person serving the notice
Email yourself a copy (PDF)
Self-help template, not legal advice. Notice periods, wording, and service rules vary by state and city. You cannot remove a tenant yourself — serve a proper notice and, if needed, file in court.
Alabama Eviction Notice Requirements
In Alabama, a landlord must serve a written notice before filing for eviction under Ala. Code 35-9A-421 (noncompliance with rental agreement; failure to pay rent) and 35-9A-441 (periodic tenancy; holdover remedies), Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Title 35, Chapter 9A. The required notice period depends on the reason:
- Nonpayment of rent: 7-day notice to pay or quit. 7 BUSINESS days, not calendar days. Under Ala. Code 35-9A-421(b), if rent is unpaid when due, the landlord may deliver written notice specifying the rent (and any late fees) owed and stating the rental agreement terminates on a date not less than 7 business days after the tenant receives the notice. If the tenant pays/remedies in full within those 7 business days, the tenancy continues. If a single set of facts triggers both 421(a) and 421(b), the 421(b) nonpayment 7-business-day notice governs. There is no separate statutory grace period; the due date is set by the lease.
- Curable lease violation: 7-day notice to cure or quit. 7 BUSINESS days. Under Ala. Code 35-9A-421(a), for a material noncompliance with the rental agreement or a noncompliance with 35-9A-301 materially affecting health and safety, the landlord delivers written notice specifying the acts/omissions and stating the lease terminates not less than 7 business days after receipt. The tenant avoids termination by adequately remedying the breach before the date specified. Alabama uses 7 business days for BOTH nonpayment (421(b)) and curable lease violations (421(a)); the difference is only whether a cure right exists. (Do not use the older non-AURLTA 14-day figure.)
- No-cause termination (month-to-month): 30-day notice. 30 days. Under Ala. Code 35-9A-441(b), either the landlord or the tenant may terminate a month-to-month (periodic) tenancy by written notice given to the other at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified in the notice. The notice period does not vary with length of tenancy. For a week-to-week tenancy the notice is 7 days (35-9A-441(a)). No just cause is required.
Service: The Act requires written notice 'delivered' to the tenant, and the 421 notice periods run from the tenant's RECEIPT ('after receipt of the notice'). Note that the general notice-receipt rules in Ala. Code 35-9A-144 expressly DO NOT apply to a notice to terminate a tenancy or evict a tenant (35-9A-144(e)). Service of the eviction (unlawful detainer) action and related termination notices is governed by the eviction-action statute (35-9A-461) and the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure / unlawful detainer service rules, which contemplate personal service or, where the tenant cannot be found, posting a copy on the premises door plus first-class mail by the sheriff/process server (service by posting complete as of the date of mailing). Best practice is personal delivery plus first-class mail and documenting the receipt date. (The spec's prior citation to 35-9A-161 was incorrect; 35-9A-161 covers terms and conditions of the rental agreement, not service.)
- Alabama's residential eviction notices for nonpayment and for curable lease violations run on BUSINESS days: both require a termination date 'not less than seven business days after receipt of the notice' (Ala. Code 35-9A-421(a) and (b)).
- Alabama uses the SAME 7-business-day notice for nonpayment (421(b)) and for curable lease violations (421(a)); the only difference is whether the tenant has a right to cure. If both apply at once, the nonpayment notice governs.
- Non-curable conduct under 35-9A-421(d) (illegal drug activity, illegal firearm use/discharge, criminal assault, or a repeat of a substantially similar breach within SIX months of a prior cured breach) gets a 'seven-day notice' with no opportunity to cure; intentional misrepresentation in the lease/application (421(a)) is also non-curable. No breach may be cured more than TWO times in any 12-month period without the landlord's written consent.
- Ending a month-to-month tenancy without cause requires 30 days' written notice before the periodic rental date (35-9A-441(b)); a week-to-week tenancy requires 7 days (35-9A-441(a)). The same rule applies whether the landlord or the tenant gives notice.
- Alabama has no statewide just-cause eviction law and prohibits local rent control (Ala. Code 11-80-8.1); after the notice period expires the landlord files an eviction/unlawful detainer action under 35-9A-461 in district court.
Alabama Eviction Notices by Type
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days notice to evict for nonpayment in Alabama?
Alabama requires a 7-day notice to pay rent or quit before a landlord can file for eviction. 7 BUSINESS days, not calendar days. Under Ala. Code 35-9A-421(b), if rent is unpaid when due, the landlord may deliver written notice specifying the rent (and any late fees) owed and stating the rental agreement terminates on a date not less than 7 business days after the tenant receives the notice. If the tenant pays/remedies in full within those 7 business days, the tenancy continues. If a single set of facts triggers both 421(a) and 421(b), the 421(b) nonpayment 7-business-day notice governs. There is no separate statutory grace period; the due date is set by the lease.
Can a landlord evict without notice in Alabama?
No. A written notice is required before filing, and only a court can order a tenant removed. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
Does Alabama require just cause to evict?
Alabama does not have a statewide just-cause requirement, though some cities may. A month-to-month tenancy can generally be ended with a 30-day notice.
Disclaimer
This Alabama eviction notice generator is a self-help tool for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Confirm Alabama and local requirements before serving, and consult a landlord-tenant attorney for contested cases.