Alaska Month-to-Month Lease Agreement

An Alaska month-to-month rental agreement is a contract (not necessarily in writing) which allows a tenant to rent property from a landlord, for one month at a time, in exchange for a fee (“rent”). The rental renews monthly, until either party gives proper notice to end it.

Basics of an Alaska Month-to-Month Rental Agreement

In Alaska, a landlord and tenant create a month-to-month lease by agreeing to rent a property according to acceptable terms. Written rental agreements are clearer and legally stronger, but oral leases are legal in a month-to-month context.

Parties under a month-to-month lease enjoy full rights under Alaska landlord-tenant law. The tenant must use the property in a responsible way and pay rent on time. The landlord must keep essential features of the property in habitable condition, and protect the tenant’s quiet enjoyment of the lease.

The main difference between a month-to-month lease and a fixed-term lease is that month-to-month leases can be terminated (with proper notice) by either party for any reason without penalty. Landlords also can usually modify terms from one month to the next, again with proper notice.

Required Disclosures for Month-to-Month Rentals in Alaska

Alaska landlords may not rent a property out without making the following disclosures to a potential tenant, as relevant:

• Landlord’s Name and Address – Landlords must give the tenant their name and address, or that of their authorized agent, to enable smooth communication of legal notice.
• Tenant Occupancy/Absence Disclosure – Alaska leases must include a reminder that rental property may only be occupied as a dwelling, and that the tenant must give notice of any absence from the property longer than seven days.
• Withholding Security Deposits Disclosure – Alaska landlords have the right to withhold some or all of a security deposit for specific noncompliance listed in the lease agreement, and must provide notice of this right to the tenant.
  
• Lead-Based Paint – Landlords must provide an EPA-approved disclosure and informational pamphlet to tenants renting any property built before 1978.

Required Notice To End a Month-to-Month Rental in Alaska

Alaska lets both the landlord or tenant terminate a month-to-month lease with at least 30 days of advance notice. [1] In general, any reason that isn’t landlord retaliation is a legal and valid grounds for ending a month-to-month lease.

Alaska requires written notice to end a month-to-month lease.

Required Notice To Raise the Rent on an Alaska Month-to-Month Lease

Alaska requires that notice for a rental increase be delivered in writing, but doesn’t specify a particular timeframe for that notice. This means in most cases it’s reasonable for a landlord to keep the same standard advance notice provided for termination or other major lease changes, which in Alaska is 30 days.

Eviction in Alaska Month-to-Month Rentals

Alaska tenants may face eviction for violating a month-to-month lease or remaining on the property after the notice period allowed by a valid termination. Evictions in Alaska typically take four to eight weeks.

For more information on the eviction process in Alaska, click here.