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Tenant Abandoned Property Laws in Alabama

In Alabama, if a tenant leaves property in the unit more than 14 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord has no duty to store it and may dispose of it.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Alabama at a glance

Written notice required
No notice step in the statute
Ala. Code 35-9A-423(d) sets only a 14 day period after termination and does not require a notice before disposal.
Holding period
14 days after termination
After the holding period
Landlord may dispose of it without obligation
After 14 days the landlord has no duty to store or protect the property.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Alabama

Does a landlord in Alabama have to notify the tenant before disposing of left-behind property?

No notice step in the statute. Written notice required in Alabama: no notice step in the statute. Ala. Code 35-9A-423(d) sets only a 14 day period after termination and does not require a notice before disposal.

How long must a landlord in Alabama keep a tenant's abandoned property?

Holding period in Alabama: 14 days after termination.

What can a landlord in Alabama do with abandoned property after the waiting period?

After the holding period in Alabama: Landlord may dispose of it without obligation. After 14 days the landlord has no duty to store or protect the property.

Where do the Alabama tenant abandoned property laws come from?

The rules above come from Ala. Code 35-9A-423. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

A unit is also considered abandoned if electric service has been terminated for seven consecutive days.

What this means in practice

Before treating anything as abandoned, confirm that the tenancy has actually ended. Some statutes define when a unit counts as abandoned, and removing property while a tenant still has a right to possession can expose a landlord to claims for wrongful eviction or conversion.

Keep a written record. Photos or a video of the items, a dated inventory, a copy of any notice sent and proof of how it was delivered make it much easier to show that the required steps were followed if the former tenant later asks for the property or its value.

Store items safely and in a reasonable way during any holding period. Where a statute allows the landlord to charge reasonable moving and storage costs, or to keep sale proceeds to cover those costs, the rules on what may be charged and what happens to any surplus vary, so check the exact text for your state.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.