Alabama Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
Alabama rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Alabama has no mold disclosure or mold remediation law for rentals. Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)-(2)
The rules in Alabama
| Mold | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Alabama has no mold disclosure or mold remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety and must make all repairs needed to keep the premises habitable. The landlord is not responsible for conditions caused by the willful or negligent act of the tenant, the tenant's household, or guests (§ 35-9A-204(f)). Local housing codes may set more specific rules. Source: Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)-(2) |
|---|---|
| Pests & bed bugs | No statute specifically on pests or bed bugs. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises habitable and common areas clean and safe. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as conditions permit and dispose of garbage in a clean and safe manner. No bed-bug disclosure or inspection rule. If the landlord gives a general notice or advance schedule for pest control, no additional notice of entry is required (§ 35-9A-303(d)). An infestation caused by the tenant's own negligence is the tenant's responsibility (§ 35-9A-204(f)). |
| Heat | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat is generated by equipment in the tenant's exclusive control and supplied by a direct utility connection. The landlord must also keep any heating system it supplies in good and safe working order. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. In a single-family home, landlord and tenant may agree in writing that the tenant handles heat and hot water (§ 35-9A-204(c)). Local codes may set temperatures. Source: Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(4), (6) |
| Air conditioning | No state requirement to provide air conditioning and no maximum indoor temperature. If the landlord supplies air conditioning, the landlord must keep it in good and safe working order. Source: Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(4) |
| Smoke and CO detectors | Alabama's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has no section on smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors. It does require landlords to comply with applicable building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety, and the act defines those codes to include any law, ordinance or regulation on fitness for habitation. Reviewed Title 35, Chapter 9A on 2026-10-28; no detector provision found. |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
Alabama vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Alabama has no mold disclosure or mold remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety and must make all repairs needed to keep the premises habitable. Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)-(2) | No statute specifically on pests or bed bugs. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises habitable and common areas clean and safe. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as conditions permit and dispose of garbage in a clean and safe manner. Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-204(a)(2)-(3), 35-9A-301(2)-(3) | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat is generated by equipment in the tenant's exclusive control and supplied by a direct utility connection. The landlord must also keep any heating system it supplies in good and safe working order. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(4), (6) |
| Florida | No statute — Florida has no mold-specific landlord-tenant statute. Mold is handled under the landlord's general duty to comply with applicable building, housing, and health codes (or, where none apply, to keep structural components and plumbing in good repair). Fla. Stat. § 83.51(1) | For units other than a single-family home or duplex, unless otherwise agreed in writing, the landlord must make reasonable provisions for extermination of rats, mice, roaches, ants, wood-destroying organisms, and bedbugs. If the tenant must temporarily vacate for extermination, the landlord must give 7 days' written notice (in person, by mail, or by e-mail under s. 83.505), must abate rent, and the tenant cannot be required to vacate more than 4 days; the landlord is not liable for other damages. For single-family homes and duplexes, pest duties depend on the lease and local codes. Fla. Stat. § 83.51(2)(a)1. | Yes, for units other than single-family homes and duplexes (unless otherwise agreed in writing): the landlord must make reasonable provisions for functioning facilities for heat during winter, plus running water and hot water. No minimum temperature or heating season is set by state statute. Fla. Stat. § 83.51(2)(a)5. |
| Georgia | No statute — Georgia has no mold-specific landlord-tenant law (no mold disclosure or remediation standard). Mold is addressed under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises in repair and, since July 1, 2024, the implied term in every residential lease that the premises are fit for human habitation. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13(a), (b) (as amended by HB 404, 2024) | No statute — Georgia law does not specifically assign pest or bed-bug treatment or require a bed-bug disclosure. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general repair duty and the fit-for-habitation requirement; the state handbook advises that leases spell out pest control, including how often it occurs. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 10 | No statewide statute sets a heat requirement, minimum temperature, or heating season. Under the general repair duty, the state handbook says landlords must keep electric, heating, cooling, and plumbing in working order. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-13; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), p. 11 |
| Mississippi | No statute — Mississippi has no mold disclosure or remediation law. The landlord's general statutory duty applies: comply with building and housing codes that materially affect health and safety, and maintain the unit and its plumbing, heating and cooling systems in substantially the same condition as at the start of the lease, reasonable wear and tear excluded. There is no duty for defects caused by the tenant's deliberate or negligent acts. Tenants must tell the landlord about conditions that may cause damage. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-23; § 89-8-25(g) | No statute — no state law assigns pest or bed bug treatment or requires disclosure. Pests are governed by the general duty to comply with health and safety housing codes and maintain the premises, and by the lease. Tenants must keep their part of the premises clean and safe and dispose of garbage properly. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-23(1); § 89-8-25(a)-(b) | No minimum temperature or heating season is set by state law. A landlord must maintain the heating system in substantially the same condition as at the start of the lease, reasonable wear and tear excluded, unless the tenant's deliberate or negligent actions damaged it, and must comply with applicable housing codes. The lease decides whether a heating system is provided at all. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-23(1)(b) |
| Tennessee | No statute — Tennessee's landlord-tenant law sets no mold disclosure or remediation rule. In counties covered by the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, mold falls under the landlord's general duties to comply with building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety and to make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as when the tenant took possession. T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401 | No statute — no pest or bed-bug provision in the landlord-tenant law. In URLTA counties, infestations fall under the landlord's code-compliance and fit-and-habitable duties; the tenant must keep the unit clean and safe, dispose of garbage properly, and comply with tenant obligations under housing codes. T.C.A. § 66-28-304(a); § 66-28-401(1)-(3) | No minimum temperature or heating season in state law. In URLTA counties, heat is an 'essential service': if the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply it, the tenant, after written notice, may procure heat and deduct the actual reasonable cost from rent, recover damages for reduced rental value, or obtain substitute housing (rent excused) and recover its reasonable value plus attorney's fees. The remedy is unavailable if the tenant, family or guests caused the condition. T.C.A. § 66-28-502(a), (c); § 66-28-304(a)(1)-(2) |
City rules that may add to state law
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Alabama Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in Alabama?
No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Alabama has no mold disclosure or mold remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety and must make all repairs needed to keep the premises habitable. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(1)-(2))
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in Alabama?
No statute specifically on pests or bed bugs. Pest problems fall under the landlord's general duty to keep the premises habitable and common areas clean and safe. The tenant must keep the unit as clean and safe as conditions permit and dispose of garbage in a clean and safe manner. (Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-204(a)(2)-(3), 35-9A-301(2)-(3))
Does a landlord have to provide heat in Alabama?
Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat is generated by equipment in the tenant's exclusive control and supplied by a direct utility connection. The landlord must also keep any heating system it supplies in good and safe working order. State law sets no minimum indoor temperature or heating season. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(4), (6))
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in Alabama?
No state requirement to provide air conditioning and no maximum indoor temperature. If the landlord supplies air conditioning, the landlord must keep it in good and safe working order. (Ala. Code § 35-9A-204(a)(4))
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in Alabama?
Alabama's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has no section on smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors. It does require landlords to comply with applicable building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety, and the act defines those codes to include any law, ordinance or regulation on fitness for habitation. (Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-204(a)(1), 35-9A-141 (reviewed ch. 35-9A))
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.