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Landlord Retaliation Laws in Alabama

Alabama law bars a landlord from retaliating with a rent increase, service cut or eviction after a tenant complains about code violations or joins a tenant union, but sets no presumption period.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Alabama at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
Yes
Presumption period
No presumption period
The statute gives the tenant a defense to eviction but no time window that presumes retaliation.
Protected tenant actions
Code complaints to an agency or the landlord, tenant unions
Covers complaints to a housing code agency, complaints to the landlord about the landlord's maintenance duties, and organizing or joining a tenant union.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Alabama

Does Alabama law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in Alabama: yes.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Alabama?

Presumption period in Alabama: No presumption period. The statute gives the tenant a defense to eviction but no time window that presumes retaliation.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Alabama?

Protected tenant actions in Alabama: Code complaints to an agency or the landlord, tenant unions. Covers complaints to a housing code agency, complaints to the landlord about the landlord's maintenance duties, and organizing or joining a tenant union.

Where do the Alabama landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from Ala. Code 35-9A-501. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

A landlord may still evict if the tenant is behind on rent, caused the code violation, or committed other material lease violations.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

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