Landlord's Lease Termination

How can my landlord end my lease?

• If you break your lease in some way, the landlord can send a "Lease Termination Notice."
• The Notice must:
  • Tell you what the violation is
  • Usually, they must give you a "right to cure" - a chance to fix the problem. 
• If you are behind on rent, the landlord can give you a 7-business day notice. They MUST:
  • Tell you the amount that you owe
  • Tell you that you have the right to pay
  • Give you at least 7 business days to pay. 
  • If your lease says you get more than 7 business days, they must do that. 7 business days is the minimume under AL law. 
• If you have broken your lease in some other way, they must still:
  • Tell you what the violation is. 
  • Give you 7 business days to fix the issue. 
• For some types of lease violations, you do not have the right to fix the problem and stay. These are:
  • Possession or use of illegal drugs
  • Illegal discharge of a firearm
  • Criminal assault of a tenant or guest
• A tenant only has the right to cure a problem and stay four times a year.
• The way most leases are written, you still owe your landlord rent even for the time after your lease is terminated. 
• If you have a month to month lease, or if your lease has expired, your landlord can end it by giving you 30 days notice to move.
  • Most leases expire after 1 year. If you only ever signed one lease when you moved in, and it has been more than a year, you are probably now a month-to-month tenant. 

What if my landlord tells me to pay up or move out?

• Under Alabama law, the landlord does not have to wait a certain amount of time to send a lease termination notice or start the eviction process.
• Your rent is due, and is late, when the lease says it is. Your landlord can send a termination notice even if you are only behind for that month. 

What happens if I don't move after my landlord ends my lease?

• In order to evict you, the law makes your landlord follow certain steps.
• Your landlord cannot simply remove your possessions or change the locks.
• Instead, your landlord must file papers in Court, which the Sheriff will then bring to you.