Rent control rules in Mobile, AL — also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances — limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Mobile cannot enact rent control or rent stabilization. Alabama Code section 11-80-11.5, enacted in 2024, expressly bars municipalities from limiting rent or fees a private landlord may charge a tenant for residential property.
Before 2024, Alabama already discouraged local rent regulation through Dillon's Rule. The 2024 statute removed any ambiguity by preempting municipal rent control statewide. Mobile therefore cannot cap rent increases, mandate rent freezes, or restrict allowable fees through local ordinance. Tenants seeking rent relief must rely on state landlord-tenant law, federally subsidized housing programs, or voluntary landlord agreements. Local governments may still operate housing-assistance programs funded by their own budget without imposing price caps on private landlords.
Any local ordinance attempting to set rent ceilings is void on its face; landlords harmed by unenforceable local action may seek declaratory relief in state court.
Mobile, AL
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Mobile, AL
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See how Mobile's rent control rules stack up against other locations.
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