Mobile home lot rent rules in Alabama

Alabama has no dedicated mobile home park act. Residential tenancies are governed by the Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (AURLTA), Ala. Code Title 35, Chapter 9A, which applies to a manufactured home "rented as a home" — but renting only a lot for a resident-owned home is not clearly within that framework. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone dealing with a specific increase should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Alabama.

What the statute says

The AURLTA defines a "dwelling unit" as "a structure or the part of a structure, including a manufactured home, that is rented as a home, residence, or sleeping place by one or more persons" (Ala. Code §35-9A-141(4)). The exclusions in §35-9A-122 do not carve out mobile home parks, but they also do not extend the Act to the rental of bare land — so the Act clearly governs a landlord-rented manufactured home, while a tenancy in which the resident owns the home and rents only the lot is not clearly a "dwelling unit" tenancy.

Where the Act applies, §35-9A-441(b) provides that "the landlord or the tenant may terminate a month-to-month tenancy by a written notice given to the other at least 30 days before the periodic rental date," and §35-9A-441(a) sets seven days for a week-to-week tenancy. There is no statute capping the amount of rent and no mobile-home-specific rent-increase notice.

How it works in general

Because Alabama has no dedicated park act and no rent cap, the rent figure and most lot-rental terms come from the written lease and general law. Where the Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act governs, a month-to-month tenancy can be ended by either side on 30 days' written notice. The harder question for many park residents is whether the Act applies at all: it plainly covers a manufactured home the landlord rents out as a home, but a resident who owns the home and rents only the lot may fall outside the Act's "dwelling unit" framework, in which case the written lease and general contract law control. That makes a clear, written lease especially important in Alabama.

Common scenarios

General examples Alabama park residents commonly encounter:

• A resident asks whether rent is capped. It is not — no statewide cap exists.
• A month-to-month tenancy is ended. Where the Act applies, 30 days' written notice is required (§35-9A-441(b)).
• A resident owns the home and rents only the lot. The Act may not clearly apply, so the written lease and general law control — read the lease carefully.

Other authorities that may apply

The Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Ala. Code ch. 9A of title 35) governs covered residential tenancies; where it does not reach a lot-only tenancy, general lease and contract law apply. Because Alabama has no dedicated park act and no rent cap, this guide flags those gaps honestly. Federal law such as the Fair Housing Act can also apply.