The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under Ala. Code Section 35-9A-201, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 60 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Alabama generally caps the deposit at 1 month's rent, subject to the statute's added exceptions for pets, alterations, and higher-risk activity, and the landlord usually has 60 days after termination and delivery of possession to send the refund and itemized statement.
This dispute type
Once the Alabama deadline passes, the dispute stops being only about the deductions and becomes a deadline-compliance problem too. A landlord may still argue damage existed, but Ala. Code § 35-9A-201 sets the clock for returning the balance and explaining any amount withheld.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: You can recover double your original deposit amount