Sources checked:
Quick answer. Alaska: deposit capped at 2 months of rent; deposit returned within 14 days; 30-day notice to end month-to-month; 7-day notice for unpaid rent; 24-hour entry notice; $150 eviction filing fee; $10,000 small claims limit. 18 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 5 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- 2 months' rent
- Deposit back within
- 14 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- 30 days
- Unpaid rent notice
- 7 days
- Entry notice
- 24 hours
- Filing fee
- $150
- Time to answer or appear
- 20 days
- Small claims limit
- $10,000
Security deposit (5 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: AS 34.03.070.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
Deposits and prepaid rent together no more than two months' rent; the limit doesn't apply to units renting for more than $2,000 a month. A separate pet deposit of up to one more month's rent is allowed (AS 34.03.070(a), (h)).
Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you (2024), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
Within 14 days after the tenancy ends and possession is delivered, if the tenant gave proper notice. Within 30 days if the landlord deducts for damage beyond normal wear and tear, or if the tenant didn't give proper notice (AS 34.03.070).
Deductions for damage, or no proper move-out notice: 30 days
Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you (2024), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
A written, itemized list of deductions with any refund, hand-delivered or mailed to the tenant's last known address (AS 34.03.070).
Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you (2024), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedInterest on the deposit
Not confirmed — check Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you (2024). Not confirmed from official text. Check AS 34.03.070.
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ConfirmedWhere the deposit is held
In a trust account at a bank or savings and loan association, or with a licensed escrow agent, used only for deposits and prepaid rent and not mixed with other money (AS 34.03.070(c)).
Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you (2024), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
If the landlord willfully fails to comply, the tenant may recover up to twice the amount withheld (AS 34.03.070).
Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you (2024), checked November 2026
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (6 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | Written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date named as the termination date. Either side. | Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you, checked November 2026 (AS 34.03.290(b)) |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | Written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date named as the termination date. Either side. | Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you, checked November 2026 (AS 34.03.290(b)) |
| Rent increase notice | At least 30 days' notice before an increase takes effect in a month-to-month tenancy. | Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you, checked November 2026 |
| Unpaid rent notice | A seven-day written notice to quit. | Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you, checked November 2026 (AS 09.45.105) |
| Entry notice | 24 hours' notice, saying when the landlord is coming. | Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you, checked November 2026 (AS 34.03.140(a)) |
| Late fee limits | No automatic late charge is enforceable unless agreed beforehand. | Source: Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you, checked November 2026 |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (6 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: A seven-day written notice to quit.
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
District Court for claims of $100,000 or less; Superior Court above that. File at the courthouse closest to the rental.
you must file your case in the district court
Source: Alaska Court System: CIV-720 Eviction Booklet (8/23), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedFiling fee
$150 to file, unless a fee waiver is granted.
Pay the $150 fee.
Source: Alaska Court System: Start an eviction case, checked November 2026
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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ConfirmedTime to answer or appear
20 days to file a written Answer. The possession hearing usually comes first; the Answer covers the rest of the case.
You must respond to the Complaint by filing a document called an Answer within 20 days.
Source: Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case, checked November 2026
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- Hearing or trial
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ConfirmedHearing after filing
The hearing is held within 15 days of filing and no sooner than 2 days after the tenant is served (the earliest date here assumes service on the filing day).
The court holds a hearing within 15 days of when the Landlord filed the case
Source: Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case, checked November 2026
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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Not confirmedJudgment to writ
Not confirmed — check Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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Not confirmedWrit to lockout
Not confirmed — check Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
A peace officer carries out the writ of assistance; in Anchorage the court sends landlords to the State Troopers Judicial Services Office.
This writ gives a peace officer the authority to remove the tenant.
Source: Alaska Court System: CIV-720 Eviction Booklet (8/23), checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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Not confirmedPaying to stop the case
Not confirmed — check Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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ConfirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
The court system's Eviction Diversion Program points landlords and tenants to free legal help and mediation, before or after a case is filed.
Landlords and tenants may choose to use the program's resources before they file a court case.
Source: Alaska Court System press release: Eviction Diversion Program (July 18, 2022), checked November 2026
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Paying all the rent before the 7-day deadline in the Notice to Quit means the landlord can't evict for that rent; the pages we read don't say what payment after filing does. In Anchorage the judge may sign the writ at the eviction hearing.
Example: a case filed Monday, March 1, 2027
The earliest date of each stage the confirmed rules allow, from our eviction timeline estimator. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
| Stage | Earliest date |
|---|---|
| Case filed | Monday, March 1, 2027 |
| Answer due (if served the day of filing) | Sunday, March 21, 2027 |
| Hearing or trial | Wednesday, March 3, 2027 |
| Judgment | Wednesday, March 3, 2027 |
Help the official pages name: Alaska Legal Services Corporation's Landlord/Tenant Helpline, free for tenants and landlords and Lawyer Referral Service, Alaska Native Justice Center and the court's Eviction Diversion Program, listed in the booklet.
More: Alaska eviction process · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$10,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
Money or personal property worth $10,000 or less. If the claim is more than that, the plaintiff must give up the excess. All parties must agree to the simplified procedure; a defendant can ask for formal rules. Not for real property title or possession, evictions, claims against the State of Alaska or the U.S. government, injunctions, or foreclosing liens.
Filing fee to start a case: $50 to $100.
Source: Alaska Court System: Small Claims Information Sheet (SC-95, rev. 4/21), checked November 2026
More: Alaska small claims court
Still to confirm
- Interest on the deposit: check Alaska Department of Law: The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act: what it means to you (2024)
- Judgment to writ: check Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case
- Writ to lockout: check Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case
- Paying to stop the case: check Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case
- Right to counsel (statewide): check Alaska Court System: Respond to an eviction case
Alaska kit
Alaska Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the Alaska return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Alaska?
Deposits and prepaid rent together no more than two months' rent; the limit doesn't apply to units renting for more than $2,000 a month. A separate pet deposit of up to one more month's rent is allowed (AS 34.03.070(a), (h)).
How long does a Alaska landlord have to return a deposit?
Within 14 days after the tenancy ends and possession is delivered, if the tenant gave proper notice. Within 30 days if the landlord deducts for damage beyond normal wear and tear, or if the tenant didn't give proper notice (AS 34.03.070). What goes with it: A written, itemized list of deductions with any refund, hand-delivered or mailed to the tenant's last known address (AS 34.03.070).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Alaska?
From the landlord: Written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date named as the termination date. Either side. From the tenant: Written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date named as the termination date. Either side.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Alaska?
A seven-day written notice to quit.
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Alaska?
24 hours' notice, saying when the landlord is coming.
How long does an eviction case take in Alaska?
Time to answer or appear: 20 days. Hearing after filing: 2 to 15 days. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
What does it cost to file an eviction case in Alaska?
$150 to file, unless a fee waiver is granted.
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords