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
In Alabama, renters usually challenge deposit deductions for scuffs, faded paint, flattened carpet, and similar aging because those issues look more like ordinary use than repairable damage. The statute still controls when the refund had to be sent and how deductions had to be explained.
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