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
Alabama renters usually push back on carpet-cleaning deductions when the landlord appears to be charging for routine turnover rather than a tenant-caused problem. The timing, itemization, and bad-faith rules still matter even when the landlord says the carpet needed extra work.
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