• Pay your rent on time.
• Take care of your place.
• Use all utilities & appliances the
right way.
• Dispose of your garbage the
right way.
• Do your part to keep common
areas clean & safe.
• Let the landlord come into your
place (usually with 2 days’
written notice) to inspect it or
make repairs.
• Follow the landlord’s rules.
• Tell the landlord if you’re going
to be away for 2 weeks or
longer.
• It’s a good idea to keep
cancelled rent checks & copies
of any letters you send to the
landlord.
• If you get an eviction notice for
unpaid rent, you have 7 days to
pay (14 days to fix most other
problems).
• If you get eviction papers from
the sheriff, contact a lawyer
(see
other side).
• Make sure the rental unit meets
health & safety codes.
• Limit security deposit to no more
than 1 month’s rent & return it or
give an accounting within 35
days after lease ends.
• Inform you of tenant rules before
you sign the lease.
• Supply hot & cold running water.
• Provide source of heat in winter.
• Maintain electrical, plumbing,
sanitary, heating, ventilating &
air conditioning systems in good
working order.
• Keep common areas clean &
safe.
• Provide at least 2 days’ written
notice of intent to enter your
place, except in an emergency.
• Make repairs to keep the place
safe & livable. (For problems
affecting health and safety,
make your request for repairs in
writing. See The Alabama
Tenants’ Handbook for details.)
• Let you have peaceful
enjoyment of your place.
• Raise the rent during the term of
your lease.
• Threaten to cut services, raise
the rent, or evict you because
you complain to him or to the
government about a problem
affecting health or safety.
• Change the locks, shut off
utilities, or put your things out to
make you leave. She can send
you an eviction notice if you
break the lease, and the court
can make you leave.
• Ask you to relieve the landlord
of his duty to provide a livable
dwelling.
• Ask you to give up your rights
regarding the security deposit
(see column 2, second bullet).
• Ask you to limit the amount the
landlord has to pay in case she
violates the lease.
• Ask you to pay the landlord’s
attorney fees or the cost of
collecting rent.
What the landlord has to do: What the landlord can’t do:
What the lease can’t do:
What you have to do: