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Alaska Security Deposit Law, in Plain English

Alaska's deposit statute rewards tenants who follow the rules: give proper notice before leaving and the refund clock is 14 days; skip it and the landlord gets 30. Around that sit a two-month cap on deposit and prepaid rent combined, a trust-account requirement, and up to double damages for a landlord who wilfully doesn't deliver. Here's how AS 34.03.070 actually works, for both sides of the lease.

14 / 30 daysItemize and refund within 14 days after termination and possession (proper notice given) — or 30 (no proper notice, or abandonment)
2 months' rentThe cap on prepaid rent and deposit combined — plus up to one month for a pet
$2,000The monthly rent above which the section doesn't apply
1 trust accountWhere the deposit must be held — bank, savings and loan, or licensed escrow agent
Up to 2xWhat a landlord who wilfully fails to comply may owe on the amount withheld

Two months' rent for deposit and prepaid rent together — unless the rent tops $2,000

A landlord may not demand or receive prepaid rent or a security deposit, however denominated, exceeding two months' periodic rent — the cap covers both together, so "first, last, and security" can't exceed two months in total. A pet deposit of up to one month's rent may be added for a pet that is not a service animal.

One large carve-out: the section does not apply to units renting for more than $2,000 a month. Above that line, the cap and the rest of AS 34.03.070 fall away, and the lease governs.

In trust, promptly — with the withholding conditions handed to the tenant

All deposit and prepaid-rent money must be promptly deposited, wherever practicable, in a trust account at a bank, savings and loan association, or licensed escrow agent. Money held for one tenant may not be used to refund another tenant's deposit, cover another tenant's rent, or pay for another tenant's damage.

The landlord must also give the tenant the terms and conditions under which the deposit, or portions of it, may be withheld — the rules of the game, in writing, up front. No interest is required.

Fourteen days to itemize when the tenant does everything right. The move-in record is how you make it in time.

PropInspect walks you room by room — photos, 60-second video clips, and tagged notes attached to each room. Share the finished report as a link the other party can view without an account, or download it as a PDF to attach to the written itemized notice. Works in the browser, works offline, no app to install. First inspections free, then $0.99 each. No subscription.

PropInspect is a documentation tool, not a compliance service or legal-advice product. Using PropInspect does not guarantee compliance with Alaska law or a particular result in a deposit dispute.

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After move-out: 14 days with proper notice, 30 without

The deposit may be applied to accrued rent and damages the landlord suffered from the tenant's noncompliance with the statutory tenant duties in AS 34.03.120 — and the Act says outright that damage does not include deterioration resulting from normal wear and tear. Deductions must be itemized in a written notice mailed to the tenant's last known address, together with the amount due.

The deadline depends on notice. If the landlord or tenant gave notice that complies with AS 34.03.290 — the Act's notice-to-quit rules, 30 days for a month-to-month tenancy — the landlord mails the itemized notice and refund within 14 days after the tenancy terminates and possession is delivered. If the tenant did not give complying notice, or the landlord discovers an abandonment, the deadline is 30 days.

For tenants, the arithmetic is simple: written notice on time, then a written forwarding address on move-out day, and the refund is due in two weeks.

When it goes wrong: up to twice the amount withheld, for a wilful failure

If the landlord wilfully fails to comply with the return rules, the tenant may recover an amount not to exceed twice the actual amount withheld. The remedy has two limits built in — it requires wilfulness, and the doubling is a ceiling, not a formula — but on a two-month deposit it's a meaningful judgment. The section adds no specific attorney's fee award. Alaska Civil Rule 82 generally provides partial prevailing-party fees in civil cases, but the Alaska Court System's small-claims guidance controls here: the losing side may owe up to $1,000 of attorney fees and costs. A sale of the property doesn't erase the duty: the holder of the landlord's interest at termination is bound.

Disputes go to small claims in the District Court, which hears claims up to $10,000 per the Alaska Court System's Small Claims Handbook. The winning file: the lease, the written withholding terms, proof of notice and forwarding address, the itemized notice or proof none arrived, and dated room-by-room photos from both ends of the tenancy.

Preguntas frecuentes

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

14 days after the tenancy ends and you deliver possession — if you gave the landlord proper notice of leaving under AS 34.03.290. If you didn't, or you abandoned the unit, it's 30 days. Either way the landlord must mail a written itemized notice and the refund to your last known address, so leave a forwarding address.

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

Prepaid rent and deposit combined may not exceed two months' periodic rent, plus a pet deposit of up to one month's rent for a pet that isn't a service animal. Units renting for more than $2,000 a month are exempt from the cap entirely.

Where does my deposit have to be kept in Alaska?

In a trust account at a bank, savings and loan, or licensed escrow agent, deposited promptly — and money held for you can't be used to cover another tenant's refund, rent, or damage. The landlord must also give you the terms and conditions under which any part of the deposit may be withheld. No interest is required.

What can a landlord deduct from a deposit in Alaska?

Accrued rent and damages resulting from your noncompliance with the tenant duties in AS 34.03.120 — keeping the unit clean, using fixtures properly, not deliberately or negligently damaging the property. The Act says expressly that normal wear and tear isn't damage.

What happens if the landlord wilfully ignores the deadline or keeps money without cause?

You may recover up to twice the actual amount withheld. The remedy requires a wilful failure and is capped at double, so it's a court's judgment call — but on a two-month deposit it's a meaningful sum.

Why does giving proper notice matter so much in Alaska?

Because it halves the landlord's clock: proper notice under AS 34.03.290 (30 days for a month-to-month tenancy) means the refund is due in 14 days instead of 30. Give written notice on time, then a written forwarding address when you leave.

Does Alaska require a move-in inspection or photos?

No. AS 34.03.070 has no checklist, walkthrough, or photo requirement — though the Alaska Court System's landlord-tenant booklet recommends one. That leaves 'normal wear and tear' to the evidence, and the side with dated room-by-room documentation from move-in usually wins.

Where do deposit disputes go in Alaska?

Small claims in the District Court, for claims up to $10,000 — informal and inexpensive. Bring the lease, the withholding terms the landlord gave you, proof of your notice and forwarding address, the itemized notice or proof none arrived, and dated move-in and move-out photos.

Landlord or tenant, the rule is the same: the record wins arguments you'd rather not have.

Document the move-in today so the move-out is boring. Photos, video, and notes for every room, offline-capable, shareable as a link or PDF. Free to start — no account, no app, no credit card.