Alabama Landlord Responsibility Statement

Effective Date: November 1, 2025
Jurisdiction: State of Alabama
Applies To: All landlords, property managers, agents and listing entities using the Tentunit platform for residential rentals in Alabama (including student, young-professional, and family housing).

1. Purpose

This Statement sets forth the governance, operational, compliance and ethical obligations for landlords listing with Tentunit in Alabama. Use of the Tentunit platform constitutes the landlord’s acknowledgment and agreement to abide by this Statement, the Tentunit Terms of Service, Payment Terms & Fair Housing Policy, and applicable federal, state, and local law. This document is not legal advice; landlords should consult counsel for full compliance.

2. Listing Accuracy, Transparency & Advertising Standards

Landlords must ensure their listings are truthful, current, and fully represent the rental offering.

Required Disclosures

Each listing must clearly and upfront disclose:

Monthly rent, lease term (or renewal/notice terms) and earliest availability date.
All one-time and recurring fees: application fee, move-in fees, administrative/amenity fees, parking or garage fees, pet fees or deposits, utility allocation/rebilling if applicable.
Security deposit amount (or fee-in-lieu) or other upfront funds required, and the conditions for return or deduction.
Utility responsibilities: which utilities the tenant pays, which landlord pays, method of allocation/sub-metering if used.
Unit condition: photographs must reflect the actual unit being offered, not purely a model unit without disclosure.
Screening criteria: income threshold, credit standard, guarantor/co-signer requirement, student-status policy.
Availability: the listing must reflect true availability. A unit already leased must be removed or updated promptly.

Prohibited Practices

Advertising units that are not genuinely available or failing to update when status changes.
Misrepresenting unit size, finishes, amenities, condition, views or location.
Using “starting at” pricing without clear eligibility or disclosure of unit count/dates.
Omitting material fees or mis-representing costs so that a reasonable renter is misled.
Bait-and-switch tactics: advertising one set of terms or unit then offering a materially different one without disclosure.

Alabama Context

While Alabama law does not heavily regulate every aspect of listing details beyond general fairness and truthfulness, landlords must still adhere to transparency best practices and avoid deceptive advertising under the state’s Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) and related statutes. See § 35-9A-201 et seq. Ala. Code.

3. Fair Housing & Equal Access

Landlords must comply with federal and Alabama non-discrimination laws:

Federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.)
Alabama statutes and local ordinances guarding against discrimination (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status)
Landlords must:
Apply screening criteria uniformly to all applicants regardless of protected status.
Provide reasonable accommodations or modifications to qualified individuals with disabilities.
Avoid discriminatory language or screening practices and document criteria and decisions.

4. Communication & Platform Responsiveness

Given Tentunit’s student/young-professional rental market, landlords must maintain timely, documented communication:

Acknowledge any listing inquiry, lease-application submission or maintenance request via Tentunit (or documented channel) within 24 hours, and provide substantive response within 48 hours.
Inform applicants of status changes, and tenants of scheduled inspections, repairs or entries.
Keep listing data current: fees, availability, policies, photographs, utilities.
Maintain professional, respectful interactions—discrimination or abusive communication may trigger account suspension.

5. Lease Execution & Legal Compliance

All leases executed via Tentunit for Alabama properties must be in writing (or documented electronically) and comply with § 35-9A-201 et seq. Ala. Code and related statutes.

Required Lease Elements & Obligations

Lease must accurately state the name and address of the landlord/agent for service and notices. (§ 35-9A-202)
Clear terms: rent amount, payment due date, lease term, renewal/termination mechanics, security deposit amount and handling, indication of fees, utilities responsibility.
Mandatory disclosures: tenant should receive landlord/agent contact info, and unit must be delivered ready for occupancy (landlord obligation to maintain premises). (§ 35-9A-203, § 35-9A-204)
Lease must not permit unlawful self-help eviction (lockouts, utility shut-offs) or waive the tenant’s statutory rights under URLTA.
Termination: For nonpayment of rent, Alabama statute requires at least 7 days’ written notice to pay or quit before filing for eviction.
Late fees: If imposed, they must be disclosed in lease; while Alabama law does not cap late fees, they must be reasonable and enforceable.

6. Habitability, Maintenance & Repair Obligations

Landlords must deliver and maintain leased premises in a safe, habitable and code-compliant condition under Alabama law (URLTA Chapter 9A) and implied warranty of habitability doctrine.

Key obligations:

Structure, roof, floors, windows/doors, stairways/porches must be maintained in safe condition.
Utilities: heating, plumbing, electrical must work properly.
Security devices: functional locks, exterior doors, windows; smoke detectors/alarm devices per local code.
Prompt response to tenant repair requests materially affecting health or safety (e.g., lack of heat in winter, unsafe wiring, pests/infestations).
Documentation: repair request date, time, vendor/work order, completion date, tenant communication must be maintained.
Retaliation prohibited: Landlord may not retaliate by raising rent, reducing services, or evicting a tenant for reporting required repairs or exercising rights.

7. Entry, Inspection & Tenant Privacy

Landlords must respect the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment of the property and provide entry for legitimate reasons with reasonable notice.

While the Alabama statute does not prescribe a fixed hours-notice requirement for non-emergency entry, best practice is at least 24 hours written notice and entry during reasonable hours (e.g., 9 a.m.–8 p.m.).
Entry may be made for legitimate purposes: repairs, inspections, improvements, showings to prospective tenants or purchasers. (§ 35-9A-204 defines landlord’s duty to maintain premises).
Tenant should be offered opportunity to attend move-out inspection or receive condition report as part of deposit handling best practice.
Landlord must document entry notices, tenant responses, time/date of entry to maintain audit trail.

8. Security Deposit Handling & Administration

Alabama law is quite specific about security deposit handling under § 35-9A-201.

Key Rules

Maximum deposit: landlord may not demand or receive more than one full month’s periodic rent as security deposit (except for additional charges for pets, alterations, increased liability). (§ 35-9A-201(a))
Return/deduction timeline: Upon termination and tenant vacates, landlord must apply deposit to unpaid rent and damages, and must provide an itemized list within 35 days (some sources say 60 days) after possession is returned. (§ 35-9A-201(b),(c))
Tenant must give landlord a forwarding address in writing; if not, landlord may mail to last known address. (§ 35-9A-201(d))
If landlord fails to refund deposit or provide itemized statement within required timeframe, tenant is entitled to double the amount of the deposit. (§ 35-9A-201(f))
Alabama law does not require the deposit to be held in a separate interest-bearing account, nor interest payment to tenant is required.

Best Practice Requirements for Tentunit

Provide a move-in condition checklist, signed by landlord and tenant with date-stamped photos.
Clearly disclose deposit amount, conditions for deductions, timeframe for return or itemization in the lease and listing.
Maintain ledger of deposit collection, deductions, return/transfer, correspondence.
If property is sold during tenancy, ensure deposit is properly transferred to new owner and tenant notified (best practice though statute does not expressly require).
Ensure any deductions adhere to allowable categories: unpaid rent, damages beyond normal wear & tear, lease-authorized charges.

9. Student-Housing & Young-Professional Focused Standards

Given Tentunit’s focus on students and young professionals, landlords must observe enhanced responsibilities:

Disclose in the listing: proximity to campus, public transport/parking policy/fees, sub-letting policy, early termination options, lease-renewal or non-renewal process.
Provide digital onboarding materials (student-friendly): move-in guide, utilities setup instructions, emergency contact number, shared-housing rules if applicable.
Avoid predatory practices targeting students (e.g., excessive upfront non-refundable fees, misleading campus access claims, required guarantor without alternative options).
Offer accessible communication channels (mobile app notifications, after-hours support) tailored to younger demographics.
Ensure shared-housing rules, roommate obligations, noise / cleaning schedules comply with statutory rights and do not conflict with lease or law.

10. Documentation, Audit, Compliance & Platform Enforcement

Landlords must maintain comprehensive records and operate at an institutional compliance level; Tentunit retains strong enforcement rights.

Record Keeping Requirements

Landlords must maintain, for each unit/tenancy:

Listing metadata: upload date, version history, fee schedule changes, rental term changes.
Inquiry and screening logs: applicant submissions, screening criteria, approvals/denials, dates and communications.
Lease file: executed agreement (digital/paper), amendments, renewal documentation, disclosures.
Maintenance and repair logs: request date/time, vendor/work order number, completion date/time, tenant notifications, photos.
Entry/inspection logs: notice sent, purpose of entry, attendees, outcome, photos.
Deposit records: amount collected, date, ledger entries, itemized deduction list, refund date, forwarding address documentation.
Tenant communication logs: initial inquiry, move-in instructions, maintenance scheduling, entry notifications, lease renewal or termination communications.

Tentunit Enforcement Rights

Tentunit may:

Audit landlord’s compliance at any time without prior notice.
Suspend or remove listings for material non-compliance with this Statement, Tentunit policies or law.
Freeze or withhold landlord payouts tied to non-compliant units.
Terminate landlord’s platform account permanently for repeated/severe violations.
Report violations to Alabama regulatory/housing agencies.
Seek indemnification, damages, attorney fees, and platform enforcement costs from landlord for misconduct.

11. Indemnification

Landlord agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Tentunit, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents and contractors from and against all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs (including attorneys’ fees) arising out of or connected to:

Landlord’s breach of this Statement or any Tentunit policy.
Landlord’s violation of federal, state or local housing laws and regulations.
Landlord’s misrepresentation of listing, unit condition, availability, terms or fees.
Tenant claims or disputes resulting from landlord’s actions or omissions.
Platform investigations or enforcement triggered by landlord non-compliance.

12. Governing Law & Reference Statutes

Alabama Statutory References & Resources

Alabama Code § 35-9A-201 – Security Deposits; Prepaid Rent. Justia+1
Alabama Code § 35-9A-202 – Required Disclosure by Landlord. Justia+1
Alabama Code § 35-9A-203 – Landlord to Deliver Possession. Justia
Alabama Code § 35-9A-204 – Landlord to Maintain Premises. Justia
Alabama Attorney General’s Tenant Handbook (“Alabama Tenants’ Handbook”). alabamalegalhelp.org
National property-management article summarizing deposit and landlord obligations in Alabama. Hemlane+2DoorLoop+2

Federal Law Foundations

Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.)
Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (applies to pre-1978 units)
Americans with Disabilities Act (where applicable)
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) for eligible tenants