Security deposit law in Alabama

One month's rent. The return rule is 35 days. The controlling text is Ala. Code § 35-9A-201.

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Alabama's deposit ceiling

One month's rent.

The one-month ceiling excludes extra amounts for pets, for changes the tenant makes to the unit, and for activities that raise the landlord's insurance risk, which may be charged on top.

Alabama's return deadline

35 days.

You have 35 days from the end of the tenancy and the tenant's delivery of possession to return the deposit or mail an itemized statement of what you kept. The clock is one of the shorter ones in the Southeast, so schedule the move-out inspection the week the keys come back.

The itemized statement rule

An itemized written statement of deductions is required whenever you keep any part of the deposit. Send it to the tenant's last known or forwarding address within the 35 days.

Account and interest rules

Alabama sets no statutory separate-account or interest requirement. A dedicated deposit account is still the cheapest defense against a commingling argument.

Exposure for wrongful withholding

Wrongfully withheld amount plus damages.

A landlord who keeps deposit money without a proper itemized statement is liable for the amount wrongfully withheld, and a court can add damages and attorney fees where the retention was not in good faith. The itemized statement delivered on time is the whole defense.

Compare Alabama with neighboring states

• Florida: no statutory limit; return rule: 15 or 30 days.
• Georgia: two months' rent; return rule: 30 days.
• Tennessee: no statutory limit; return rule: no fixed statutory deadline.
• Mississippi: no statutory limit; return rule: 45 days.