Room Rental Agreement in Alabama

For renting a room in a home, including your own home. Some states treat a renter in the owner's home (a lodger) differently when ending the arrangement — see your state's household rules.

What Alabama law says

Renting a room in your own home (lodgers)	No special statute for a lodger in the owner's home. The Act's exclusions cover transient occupancy in a hotel, motel or lodgings, but do not exclude renting a room in an owner-occupied home. The Act defines a 'roomer' as a person occupying a unit that lacks a toilet, refrigerator, stove, kitchen sink and tub or shower provided by the landlord, where facilities are shared. Whether a long-term room rental is 'transient' lodgings or a tenancy depends on the facts. Source: Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-122(4), 35-9A-141(14)
Tenancy at will	Where no end date is specified, Alabama law treats a tenancy as running December 1 to December 1, but if it is expressly a tenancy at will, either party may end it at any time with 10 days' written notice. For tenancies by the month or other terms under a year where the tenant holds over without a special agreement, the landlord may end the tenancy with 10 days' written notice and then sue for possession. For residential rentals covered by the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, month-to-month tenancies require 30 days' written notice and week-to-week tenancies 7 days (Ala. Code § 35-9A-441). Source: Ala. Code §§ 35-9-3, 35-9-5

Renting a room in your own home (lodgers)

No special statute for a lodger in the owner's home. The Act's exclusions cover transient occupancy in a hotel, motel or lodgings, but do not exclude renting a room in an owner-occupied home. The Act defines a 'roomer' as a person occupying a unit that lacks a toilet, refrigerator, stove, kitchen sink and tub or shower provided by the landlord, where facilities are shared.

Whether a long-term room rental is 'transient' lodgings or a tenancy depends on the facts.

Source: Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-122(4), 35-9A-141(14)

Tenancy at will

Where no end date is specified, Alabama law treats a tenancy as running December 1 to December 1, but if it is expressly a tenancy at will, either party may end it at any time with 10 days' written notice. For tenancies by the month or other terms under a year where the tenant holds over without a special agreement, the landlord may end the tenancy with 10 days' written notice and then sue for possession.

For residential rentals covered by the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, month-to-month tenancies require 30 days' written notice and week-to-week tenancies 7 days (Ala. Code § 35-9A-441).

Source: Ala. Code §§ 35-9-3, 35-9-5

Fill it in

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ROOM RENTAL AGREEMENT

Owner/landlord: [owner name] Renter: [renter name]

Room: [room description] in the home at [home address]. Shared areas the renter may use: [shared areas].

Term: begins [start date]; [ends on end date / continues month to month].

Rent: $[monthly rent] due on [due day] by [payment method]. Deposit: $[deposit amount].

Utilities included: [utilities included]. House rules: [house rules, e.g. guests, kitchen use, smoking].

Ending the agreement: either side gives at least [notice period] written notice, and never less than state law requires.

Signatures and dates: [signatures]

Room Rental Agreement 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.