Pet Addendum in Alabama

Adds pet terms to a lease. Assistance animals for people with disabilities are not pets: no pet fee or pet rent may be charged for them under federal fair housing rules.

What Alabama law says

Pet deposits and fees	Pet deposits are outside the deposit cap. A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit of more than one month's periodic rent, except for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks to the landlord or premises. No statute limits the amount of a pet deposit, pet fee or pet rent. Fair housing law separately governs assistance animals. Source: Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(a)
Service & support animals (state law)	Alabama's Assistance and Service Animal Integrity in Housing Act lets a landlord with a no-animals policy ask for reliable documentation, from the person's medical provider, of a disability and the disability-related need for an assistance animal, but only when these are not readily apparent or known. Documentation must be kept confidential. Misrepresenting a disability or need, making false statements to obtain documentation, creating or providing false documents, or putting a vest or sign on a pet to pass it off as an assistance or service animal is punishable by a $500 civil penalty or a Class C misdemeanor for a first offense, and a Class B misdemeanor after that. A tenant may not be charged extra for a service animal but is liable for damage it causes; the landlord may ask for proof of vaccinations. Enacted by Act 2018-235; § 21-7-9 amended by Act 2019-478. 'Assistance animal' includes an emotional support animal that qualifies as a reasonable accommodation under the federal Fair Housing Act. Source: Ala. Code §§ 24-8A-1 to 24-8A-5; § 21-7-9(c)

Pet deposits and fees

Pet deposits are outside the deposit cap. A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit of more than one month's periodic rent, except for pets, changes to the premises, or increased liability risks to the landlord or premises. No statute limits the amount of a pet deposit, pet fee or pet rent.

Fair housing law separately governs assistance animals.

Source: Ala. Code § 35-9A-201(a)

Service & support animals (state law)

Alabama's Assistance and Service Animal Integrity in Housing Act lets a landlord with a no-animals policy ask for reliable documentation, from the person's medical provider, of a disability and the disability-related need for an assistance animal, but only when these are not readily apparent or known. Documentation must be kept confidential. Misrepresenting a disability or need, making false statements to obtain documentation, creating or providing false documents, or putting a vest or sign on a pet to pass it off as an assistance or service animal is punishable by a $500 civil penalty or a Class C misdemeanor for a first offense, and a Class B misdemeanor after that. A tenant may not be charged extra for a service animal but is liable for damage it causes; the landlord may ask for proof of vaccinations.

Enacted by Act 2018-235; § 21-7-9 amended by Act 2019-478. 'Assistance animal' includes an emotional support animal that qualifies as a reasonable accommodation under the federal Fair Housing Act.

Source: Ala. Code §§ 24-8A-1 to 24-8A-5; § 21-7-9(c)

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PET ADDENDUM to the lease for [rental address] dated [lease date]

Tenant: [tenant name] Pet(s): [type, breed, name, weight]

Pet deposit: $[pet deposit] (counts toward any state deposit limit where the law says so). Monthly pet rent: $[pet rent]

The tenant keeps the pet under control, cleans up after it, and pays for damage it causes beyond normal wear and tear.

Signatures and dates: [signatures]

Pet Addendum for other states · Alabama tenant rights

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.