You're in Alabama, right?
Defenses Alabama Tenants May Employ
Breach of Warranty of Habitability
A tenant may claim that the landlord failed to comply with the applicable building and housing codes necessary to maintain the premises in a habitable condition. Examples include not providing essential services in good working order and not making repairs on things affecting the tenant’s health and safety. These include running hot and cold water, heat, air conditioning, ventilation, plumbing and garbage removal.
In such cases, the tenant must provide a written notice to the landlord. It must allow at least 14-days for the landlord to make the requested repairs and notifying him or her that noncompliance will terminate the rental agreement. If the landlord fails to comply, the tenant should contact the health department or call the housing inspector to inspect the property and to demonstrate that the condition was hazardous. The tenant may vacate the property with no further obligations under the rental agreement.
Use this. Also, landlord has to give you 30 days notice to move out if you are not in a lease, or even if the lease expired.
Also, make sure you answer the court's Summons or the landlord will win by default and there won't be a court date. And yes, he can then garnish your wages and other horrible stuff because he has a judgement.
Another odd thing about the process in Alabama is that if the landlord takes any money at all, he has to start the whole process again and it actually takes a while compared to other Southern states.
So, you can answer the Summons, plea before the judge about the hot water not working, force the landlord to fix it and waive all rent charged in days without hot water or force the landlord still has to give you 30 day notice to vacate and you are guaranteed a full month rent free plus the dates up to the court hearing.
Source: I manage rental properties. I'm in Georgia, but I have family in Alabama.