Ala. Code §§ 35-9-1 to 35-9-100 § 35-9-13
Recovery of Rent Upon Death of Life Tenant Who Has Demised Estate.
Operative Text
When a tenant for life shall demise any lands and shall die on or after the day when any rent becomes due and payable, his executors or administrators may recover from the under-tenant the whole rent due, but if any such tenant for life shall die before the day when any rent is to become due, his executors or administrators may recover the proportion of rent which accrued before his death, and the remainderman shall recover for the residue.
Under Alabama Code § 35-9-13, when a life tenant who has leased out land dies on or after a rent due date, the life tenant's estate (through executors or administrators) is entitled to collect the full rent payment that came due. If the life tenant dies before a rent payment date, the estate may collect only the portion of rent that built up through the date of death, while the person who inherits the property interest (the remainderman) is entitled to collect the rest of that rent period's accrued amount.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property managers or owners dealing with life estate arrangements should be aware that Alabama Code § 35-9-13 governs how rent is allocated when a life tenant landlord dies mid-tenancy. A compliant operator in this situation generally coordinates with the estate's executor or administrator to determine the correct payee for rent, since the right to collect can shift between the estate and the remainderman depending on the timing of the death relative to the rent due date. Keeping clear records of rent due dates and payment schedules helps ensure that rent is directed to the appropriate party.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
As an under-tenant (someone renting from a life tenant), Alabama Code § 35-9-13 affects whom you owe rent to after your landlord's death. The law establishes that rent may be owed partly to the deceased life tenant's estate and partly to the remainderman, depending on when the death occurred relative to the rent due date. Tenants in this situation may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid resource to understand how to properly direct rent payments and avoid double-payment disputes.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 16, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation