Full question:
I am an Alabama resident and had been staying in a rental house. I vacated from the rental house three months back on completion of the lease term. But the landlord did not reimburse the security deposit. Is there any provision to obtain my security deposit and prepaid rent?
- Category: Landlord Tenant
- Subcategory: Security Deposit
- Date:
- State: Alabama
Answer:
In Alabama, landlords must refund the security deposit and any prepaid rent after the tenancy ends. If your landlord fails to do this, you may be entitled to recover double the amount of your security deposit.
According to Alabama law (Code of Ala. § 35-9A-201), when the tenancy ends, the landlord must provide an itemized list of any deductions from the security deposit within 60 days. If the landlord withholds any part of the deposit, they must send you this list along with the amount due. You are required to provide a valid forwarding address for this purpose. If you do not provide one, the landlord can send the refund to your last known address or the rental property address.
If the landlord does not send the refund or the itemized list within the 60-day period, they are liable to pay you double the original deposit amount. Therefore, you have a right to recover your security deposit and any prepaid rent, and you may also be entitled to additional compensation if the landlord does not comply with these requirements.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.