Russell County, Alabama Eviction Risk: Very Low

Russell County, Alabama eviction laws posts a county-wide average eviction-risk score of 2.2/10 (Very Low), placing it in the middle third of Alabama's 67 counties. With 34 counties scoring higher and 32 scoring lower, landlords here face a modestly balanced operating environment rather than the extremes found elsewhere in the state. Across the county's 3 scored cities, the risk band runs from 2.1 to 2.3, a spread that is wide enough to matter when choosing where to place capital or sign a lease.

With a total population of 42,266 and an average renter share of 46.7%, the county sustains a sizable rental market. Average rent sits at $967 per month, and the average rent burden runs at 32% of renter income. A poverty rate of 21.2% is a meaningful risk factor and one reason some pockets inside the county score higher than the aggregate suggests.

The cities inside Russell County

The highest-risk address in the county is Ladonia, which scores 2.3/10 and has a population of 3,346. That score is more than a full point above the county average and should give landlords pause: a smaller tenant pool, a higher poverty concentration, and less economic cushion relative to the county's anchor city all feed that elevated reading.

The county's dominant market is Phenix City, home to 38,499 residents and a score of 2.5/10. At that risk level, Phenix City eviction risk is one of the more landlord-favorable mid-size cities in the state, offering meaningful rental demand with relatively lower eviction pressure. At the opposite end sits Hurtsboro, with just 421 residents and the county's lowest score of 2.1/10. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: the gap between Ladonia and Hurtsboro is 1.3 points, which is a material difference in expected eviction frequency and carrying cost. Underwriting at the city level, not the county level, is the right discipline in Russell County.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Russell County operates under Alabama eviction laws state law, specifically the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Ala. Code § 35-9A. For nonpayment of rent, the required notice period is 7 days. A lease-violation notice that offers a cure period must give the tenant 14 days, and a no-cause end-of-term notice requires 30 days. Alabama eviction laws does not require just cause for nonrenewal, and state law preempts any local rent-control ordinance, so landlords in Russell County face no additional municipal layer on pricing. Entry requires 48 hours advance notice under the statute.

Understanding the Alabama eviction laws eviction process in full is critical before any filing. Court filing fees run $200 to $300; sheriff lockout fees add $30 to $150; attorney fees typically range from $500 to $2,500. An uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 45 days; a contested matter can run 60 to 120 days. Alabama eviction costs therefore vary considerably based on whether a tenant disputes the action, making tenant screening and lease quality front-line cost controls. Alabama security deposit limits and Alabama tenant protections are defined at the state level, leaving little local variation for investors comparing jurisdictions within the county.

With a poverty rate of 21.2% and nearly half of county residents renting (46.7%), the rental market in Russell County is active but requires city-level diligence; the three cities above show scores ranging from 2.1 to 2.3, so reviewing each city's detail page before acquiring or managing property here is time well spent.