Title 35 Chapter 9A of Alabama State Law allows tenants to live in a space based on the lease agreement that the principal tenant has with the landlord, as long as the original lease permits subleasing. If the original lease does not mention subleasing, then the landlord’s permission is required.
A sublease is an agreement between the original tenant (sublessor or sublandlord) under a lease agreement for a rental unit and a new individual (sublessee or subtenant) who does not have a direct connection with the original lease agreement; the sublease agreement is tied to and incorporates the original (master) lease. If the original lease does not contain language giving permission for the tenant to enter into a sublease, the original tenant (sublessor) must obtain written permission from the landlord to do so. The original tenant (sublessor) is still bound by all the requirements/obligations under the original (master) lease agreement.
An Alabama sublease agreement should include the following sections: