The Alaska rental agreements are contracts between a landlord and a tenant. The agreements allow the tenant to use real property in exchange for rent payments (usually made monthly). All rental agreement contracts must be in compliance with Alaska’s state landlord-tenant laws.
Alaska Rental Agreement Types
Alaska Required Lease Disclosures
- Landlord’s Name & Address (required for all) – Alaska landlords are required to provide their contact information or an agent’s information in the lease agreement for serving legal notices and receiving correspondence.
- Lead Based Paint Disclosures (required for some) – Alaska landlords must provide notice of the potential risks of lead based paint in homes built prior to 1978, including a pamphlet from the EPA, a special lead paint addendum, and disclosure of any hazards that are known to protect potential tenants.
To learn more about required disclosures in Alaska, click here.
Alaska Landlord Tenant Laws
- Warranty of Habitability – Alaska landlords are required to provide accessible hot and cold water, as well as a working stove and oven, heating system, windows, and more. If an Alaska tenant’s dwelling is no longer in a “fit and habitable condition,” they can request a repair that their landlord must act upon within 10 days. If this deadline is not met, an Alaska tenant can perform a “repair and deduct.”
- Evictions – An Alaska tenant can be evicted failing to pay rent (7 days’ notice), committing an illegal act (5 days’ notice), or violating a leasing term (10 days’ notice). This process typically takes several weeks or up to a month, if the eviction is without cause.
- Security Deposits – Alaska landlords are legally permitted to charge 2 months’ rent in value as a security deposit (except for dwellings with a rent rate of over $2,000). These deposits must be returned within 30 days of a lease’s termination.
- Lease Termination – In Alaska, a month-to-month lease can be terminated following a 30 day notice period. A fixed lease, meanwhile, can only be terminated if the tenant supplies proof of active military duty, landlord harassment, or an uninhabitable dwelling.
- Rent Increases & Fees – In Alaska, a landlord only needs to provide a 30 day advance notice of a rent increase to month-to-month renters. However, the actual amount of these increases is not limited by law. The same goes for any type of fee, so long as the amount and frequency are agreed to in the lease.
- Landlord Entry – An Alaska landlord must provide 24 hours of advance notice before legally entering an occupied unit. Moreover, this entry must occur at a “reasonable” hour. This standard does not apply in emergency situations, though.
- Settling Legal Disputes – Alaska tenants and landlords can settle disputes (excepting evictions) valued at fewer than $10,000 through the state’s small claims court. Generally, these cases carry a 3-year statute of limitations.
To learn more about landlord tenant laws in Alaska, click here.