Alabama Landlord Repair Duties & Habitability Rights (2026)

What a landlord must fix, and your options when they do not

At a glance

• Core duty: Ala. Code § 35-9A-204 — 房东义务：遵守影响健康安全的建筑/住房法规、保持 habitable、common area 清洁安全、维护水电暖 HVAC 电梯、提供垃圾收集、供水热水供热。
• Notice before acting: 租客书面通知后，房东须在「合理时间」内修复（无固定天数）。
• Governing authority: Ala. Code § 35-9A-204

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the landlord's duty to maintain a habitable home in Alabama, and what you can do when repairs go unmade.

It does not cover commercial leases, or conditions you caused yourself (which are treated differently).

The landlord's duty

Ala. Code § 35-9A-204 — 房东义务：遵守影响健康安全的建筑/住房法规、保持 habitable、common area 清洁安全、维护水电暖 HVAC 电梯、提供垃圾收集、供水热水供热。

Ala. Code § 35-9A-204 ↗

What the duty covers in practice

Notice and time to cure

租客书面通知后，房东须在「合理时间」内修复（无固定天数）。

关键服务失败可依 35-9A-404 寻求救济。

Ala. Code § 35-9A-204 (reasonableness) ↗

Your remedies when repairs go unmade

Landlord entry rules

房东进入须合理通知（一般 2 天），紧急情况除外（35-9A-303）。

Ala. Code § 35-9A-303 ↗

When the duty does not apply

缺陷系租客、其家人、被许可人或经同意的他人故意或过失造成的，房东无义务（35-9A-204(f)）。

Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(f) ↗

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.

Statute	Last verified	Source
Ala. Code § 35-9A-204	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)-(3)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(4)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(5)-(6)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Ala. Code § 35-9A-204 (reasonableness)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Ala. Code § 35-9A-404	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Ala. Code § 35-9A-401	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Ala. Code § 35-9A-303	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(f)	2026-10-16	official text ↗

Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help guide is the right starting point for understanding your position. Get legal help if:

• You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
• The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
• Your landlord has filed anything in court already
• You are unsure whether a local ordinance changes the state rule

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More Alabama guides

Alabama Security Deposit Return · Alabama Security Deposit Rules · Alabama Eviction Process · Alabama Rent Increase Rules · Alabama Landlord Retaliation

→ All Alabama tenant rights topics

Common questions