Question 1

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Maximum 2 months' rent (does not apply when rent is over $2,000 a month). A pet deposit of up to 1 month's rent is allowed on top.

Question 2

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Within 14 days, or 30 days if deductions are made for damage or the tenant didn't give proper notice.

Question 3

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering a rental in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Under AS 34.03.140(c), a landlord may not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant. Except in case of emergency or if it is impracticable to do so, the landlord shall give the tenant at least 24 hours notice of intention to enter and may enter only at reasonable times and with the tenant's consent. Under subsection (b), the landlord may enter the dwelling unit without the consent of the tenant in the case of emergency. Under subsection (a), the tenant may not unreasonably withhold consent for the landlord to enter to inspect the premises, make necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations, or improvements, supply necessary or agreed services, remove personal property belonging to the landlord that is not covered by a written rental agreement, or exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective or actual purchasers, mortgagees, tenants, workers, or contractors. Under subsection (d), the landlord does not have a right of access to the dwelling unit except as permitted by this section, by court order, or as permitted by AS 34.03.230(b), or unless the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the premises. Example: unless there is an emergency or giving notice is impracticable, a landlord who wants to enter to make an agreed repair must give at least 24 hours notice, enter only at a reasonable time, and have the tenant's consent.

Question 4

How much notice does a landlord need to give to raise the rent in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Alaska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (AS 34.03, reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-15) sets no specific notice period for rent increases. A month-to-month rent change takes effect through the 30-day termination notice rule, and increases cannot be retaliatory.

Question 5

Can a landlord charge a late fee in Alaska, and how much?

Accepted Answer

Alaska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (AS 34.03, reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-15) sets no cap on late fees; the lease terms control.

Question 6

What notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

7-day notice for nonpayment of rent.

Question 7

Can cities in Alaska pass rent control?

Accepted Answer

Alaska's landlord-tenant act (AS 34.03, reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-15) neither imposes rent control nor preempts local rent control. Rent levels are set by the lease, subject only to the anti-retaliation rule (AS 34.03.310).

Question 8

How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month tenancy in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the rent due date named in the notice. Week-to-week tenancies need 14 days' written notice.

Question 9

Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Alaska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (AS 34.03, reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-15) requires deposits to be kept in a trust account but does not require interest to be paid to the tenant.

Question 10

Is a move-in or move-out inspection checklist required in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

If the landlord requires it, the lease must include or attach a premises condition statement and, if applicable, a contents inventory describing the condition at move-in. Once both sign, it becomes part of the lease and is presumptive evidence of condition.

Question 11

Is landlord retaliation illegal in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

A landlord may not raise rent, cut services or bring or threaten an eviction because a tenant complained about conditions, enforced rights under the chapter, joined a tenant union or complained to a government agency. Exceptions include nonpayment of rent. Exceptions: after a notice to quit, the landlord may still seek possession for unpaid rent, code-required alterations or demolition, tenant waste or illegal use, good-faith personal use, or other listed grounds (.310(c)). The landlord may raise rent for substantial tax or cost increases, capital improvements, or to match comparable rents (.310(d)).

Question 12

Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

If a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes a tenant, or willfully cuts electricity, gas, water or other essential services, the tenant can recover possession or end the lease and recover up to 1.5 times actual damages.

Question 13

What can a tenant do if the landlord won't make repairs in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

For a material breach affecting health and safety, the tenant can give written notice that the lease ends in 20 days unless the landlord fixes the problem within 10 days. If heat, water, hot water or other essential services are not supplied, after written notice the tenant can buy them and deduct the cost from rent, recover damages, or get substitute housing.

Question 14

What disclosures must a landlord give tenants in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

At or before move-in, the landlord must disclose in writing the name and address of the manager and of the owner (or the owner's agent for legal notices), and keep this information current. Deposit withholding terms must also be provided.

Question 15

What can a landlord do with property a tenant leaves behind in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

If a tenant leaves property behind, the landlord can give notice to remove it within at least 15 days, then sell it at public sale. Property of little value may be destroyed after the same notice.

Question 16

Can a tenant break a lease early for domestic violence or military service in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Alaska's landlord-tenant act (AS 34.03, reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-15) has no early-termination right for domestic-violence victims or servicemembers; the lease terms control. Servicemembers may still rely on the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

Question 17

Is there a grace period before a late fee can be charged in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Alaska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (AS 34.03, reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-15) sets no grace period before a late fee; the lease terms control.

Question 18

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of AS 34.03, the landlord-tenant statute, found no application-fee limit.

Question 19

How does the eviction court process work in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

The summons in a forcible entry and detainer case must be served at least 2 days before trial. A continuance longer than 2 days requires the tenant to post an undertaking covering accruing rent.

Question 20

Can a tenant fix something and deduct it from rent in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

If the landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply heat, running water, hot water or essential services, the tenant may give written notice and buy reasonable amounts of them during the outage and deduct the actual, reasonable cost from rent (or get damages or substitute housing instead).

Question 21

Can a tenant sublet an apartment in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, a tenant can't sublet or assign without the landlord's consent. The landlord may refuse a proposed occupant within 14 days only in writing and only for listed reasons (e.g., credit, household size, pets, commercial use, refusal to take the same terms).

Question 22

What happens if a tenant stays after the lease ends in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

If a tenant stays without consent after the lease ends or is terminated, the landlord may serve a notice to quit and sue for possession. For a willful, bad-faith holdover, the landlord may also recover up to 1.5 times actual damages.

Question 23

Does a landlord have to give notice before not renewing a lease in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of AS 34.03 found no notice requirement for ending a fixed-term lease at its end. The notice rules in AS 34.03.290 cover week-to-week (14 days) and month-to-month (30 days) tenancies.

Question 24

Does a landlord have to provide smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

The landlord must provide smoke detection and carbon monoxide detection devices as required by AS 18.70.095. The tenant must maintain them.

Question 25

Can a tenant withhold rent for repairs in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

In a possession case where the landlord's violations are a defense, the court may order the tenant to pay accrued and future rent into court. If the violations aren't fixed within six months, the court enters judgment for the tenant.

Question 26

What happens to the lease when a tenant dies in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of the Alaska Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (AS 34.03) found no provision on a tenant's death.

Question 27

What is the pet deposits/fees & service/esa animals rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

On top of the regular deposit cap, a landlord may require an extra pet deposit of up to one month's rent for a pet that is not a service animal. It must be accounted for separately and can only be used for pet damage.

Question 28

What is the tenant relocation assistance rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

For mobile home park closures or changes in land use, residents get at least 270 days' notice. A municipality may set up a mobile home relocation fund and require compensation or longer notice. The landlord-tenant act has no general relocation payment.

Question 29

What is the rent receipts, payment methods & cash rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of AS ch. 34.03 found no rule requiring rent receipts, requiring or banning any payment method, or limiting payment fees. Unless otherwise agreed, rent is due at the time and place the parties agreed.

Question 30

What is the eviction record sealing rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

A search of the full text of AS 09.45.060-09.45.160 (forcible entry and detainer) found no provision for sealing or expunging eviction records. Court rules or other statutes, which this site has not reviewed, may still provide for it.

Question 31

What is the condo conversion protections rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Residential tenants of conversion property must get notice and the public offering statement at least 180 days before they must vacate. For a mobile home park conversion, the notice must come at least one year before.

Question 32

What is the deposit bank holding / separate account rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Where practicable, deposits and prepaid rent must be promptly placed in a trust account at a bank, savings and loan or licensed escrow agent. Deposits from several tenants may share an account if accounted for separately per tenant, but may not be mixed with the landlord's other funds. Code text: "shall be promptly deposited by the landlord, wherever practicable, in a trust account in a bank, savings and loan association, or licensed escrow agent."

Question 33

What is the eviction notices for other grounds (lease violation, no-fault) rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

For a material lease violation, the landlord serves a notice to quit naming the breach and ending the lease at least 10 days after service. For deliberate substantial damage (over $400) or illegal activity, the notice can be 24 hours to 5 days. Code text: "specifying that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than 10 days after service of the notice."

Question 34

What is the right to cure / redeem rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for ordinary lease violations. If the breach can be fixed and the tenant fixes it before the date in the 10-day notice, the lease does not end. A repeat within six months can be ended on 5 days' notice. Code text: "if the breach is remediable by repairs or the payment of damages or otherwise and the tenant adequately remedies the breach before the date specified in the notice, the rental agreement will not terminate."

Question 35

What is the manufactured / mobile home parks rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

A mobile home park operator may evict only for listed reasons: unpaid rent, certain continuing law violations, breach of an enforceable lease term, or a change in land use. A change in land use needs at least 270 days' notice, with a quit date from May 1 to October 15. Code text: "A mobile home park operator may evict a mobile home or a mobile home park dweller or tenant only for one of the following reasons."

Question 36

What is the military lease termination (federal scra, all states) rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Federal law that applies in every state: under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a tenant may end a residential lease after entering military service, or after getting permanent-change-of-station orders or deployment orders of at least 90 days, by delivering written notice and a copy of the orders to the landlord. For a lease with monthly rent, termination takes effect 30 days after the next rent due date following delivery of the notice. Any state-specific rule on this page also applies. Code text: "The lessee on a lease described in subsection (b) may, at the lessee's option, terminate the lease at any time after" entering military service, the date of the military orders, or the date of a stop movement order (50 U.S.C. 3955(a)(1)(A)-(C)).

Question 37

What is the tenant buyout disclosures rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

The state landlord-tenant statute (AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-16) has no provision on tenant buyout agreements or buyout disclosures. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply.

Question 38

What is the property manager licensing rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Alaska requires a real estate license to collect rent or property-management fees for others, or to practice property management (AS 08.88.161). AS 08.88.900 exempts some people, such as owners managing their own property and individuals who manage for another without a fee. Statute text: "collect rent for the use of real estate or collect fees for property management" (AS 08.88.161).

Question 39

What is the guest & occupancy limits rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Alaska's residential landlord-tenant law (AS 34.03, reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-16) sets no numeric guest or persons-per-bedroom limit. AS 34.03.120(a)(10) only bars exceeding numbers allowed by other applicable law, a covenant, or the lease; local codes and fair-housing rules still apply. Statute text: "may not allow the number of individuals occupying the premises to exceed the number allowed by applicable law, by a covenant limiting the landlord's use of the premises, or the rental agreement" (AS 34.03.120(a)(10)).

Question 40

Can a landlord deny a tenant for criminal or credit history in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Alaska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (AS 34.03.010–.380, reviewed by full-text search on 2026-10-16) sets no rules on screening applicants' criminal or credit history; federal fair-housing and FCRA rules still apply.

Question 41

What federal protections does a tenant have after foreclosure in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Federal law that applies in every state: under the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (made permanent in 2018), whoever takes over a home through foreclosure must give a bona fide tenant at least 90 days' notice to vacate. A tenant with a bona fide lease signed before the notice of foreclosure (the date title passes) can stay until the lease ends, unless the unit is sold to a buyer who will live there as a primary residence; that buyer must still give the 90-day notice. Month-to-month and at-will tenants also get the 90 days. A tenancy is bona fide only if the tenant is not the borrower or the borrower's child, spouse or parent, the deal was at arm's length, and the rent is not far below market (unless it is subsidized). State or local laws with longer notice or more protection still apply, and any state-specific rule on this page also applies. Statute text: "the provision, by such successor in interest of a notice to vacate to any bona fide tenant at least 90 days before the effective date of such notice" (Pub. L. 111-22, SEC. 702(a)(1)).

Question 42

What is the warranty of habitability in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

The landlord must make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to keep the premises fit and habitable, keep common areas clean and safe, and keep electrical, plumbing, heating and other facilities in good working order (AS 34.03.100(a)).

Question 43

What disclosures must a landlord give in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Before the tenancy starts, the landlord must disclose in writing the name and address of the property manager and of an owner or agent for service of process and notices.

Question 44

Does a landlord need just cause to evict in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with 30 days' written notice (AS 34.03.290(b)). No state just-cause eviction requirement was found in AS 34.03, reviewed by full-text search.

Question 45

Does Alaska have rent control?

Accepted Answer

No state statute limiting rent amounts or increases was found in AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, reviewed by full-text search).

Question 46

Can a landlord refuse Section 8 or other source of income in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Alaska's fair housing statute, AS 18.80.240, bars rental discrimination based on sex, marital status, pregnancy, race, religion, disability, color and national origin, and lists no source-of-income protection. No state statute barring source-of-income discrimination was found in AS 18.80.240 or AS 34.03 (reviewed by full-text search).

Question 47

What is the domestic violence early termination rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

No state statute giving domestic violence victims an early lease termination right was found in AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, reviewed by full-text search).

Question 48

What is the scra / military lease termination rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

Federal law (50 U.S.C. 3955) governs servicemember lease termination. Alaska applies the federal SCRA consumer-transaction protections to members of the organized militia on state active duty by order of the governor (AS 26.05.135(a)), and adds no separate lease-termination right. AS 26.05.135(b) adds termination rights only for internet, gym, satellite radio and television contracts, not leases.

Question 49

How much does it cost to file an eviction in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

$150 to file in district court (Admin. R. 9(c)(1)); $250 in superior court (9(b)(1)). The court system's fee page lists eviction as $150 up to $100,000 in damages and $250 over $100,000. No filing fee is charged to a person found indigent under Administrative Rule 10.

Question 50

What rights does a tenant have after foreclosure in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

No state statute protecting tenants after foreclosure was found in AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, reviewed by full-text search).

Question 51

Do landlords need a rental license or registration in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

No state statute requiring rental registration was found in AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, reviewed by full-text search).

Question 52

Can the city inspect my rental property in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

No state statute requiring rental inspections was found in AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, reviewed by full-text search).

Question 53

What are the Airbnb / short-term rental rules in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

No state statute regulating short-term rentals was found in AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, reviewed by full-text search).

Question 54

What is the rental / transient occupancy tax rule in Alaska?

Accepted Answer

No state lodging or occupancy tax was found in AS title 43 (Revenue and Taxation; full-text search of the official capture: 'hotel', 'lodging' and 'transient' each got 0 hits). Boroughs and cities may levy bed taxes; local taxes were not searched.

Alaska landlord-tenant law FAQ