Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Alaska
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Alaska.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Alaska maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Alaska's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit or prepaid rent worth more than two months' rent (AS 34.03.070(a)). There is one large exception: the cap does not apply to a rental unit where the rent is more than $2,000 a month, so for those units there is no statutory limit. Prepaid rent counts toward the cap along with the deposit.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What Alaska renters get wrong
Alaska caps a residential security deposit at two months' rent, but that limit disappears for any unit where the rent is more than $2,000 a month. The deposit and any prepaid rent count together toward the cap. Alaska is one of the states that require your money to be kept safe: the landlord must put it in a trust account at a bank, savings and loan, or licensed escrow agent, not mix it with personal funds. After you move out and hand back the keys, the landlord has 14 days to return the deposit if you gave proper written notice and owe nothing, and up to 30 days if there are damage deductions or you did not give proper notice, always with an itemized written statement. If a landlord wilfully keeps part of your deposit without cause, you can recover up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Alaska?
Up to two months' rent, and prepaid rent counts toward that limit (AS 34.03.070). There is a big exception: if the monthly rent is more than $2,000, the cap does not apply and there is no statutory limit on the deposit for that unit.
How long does my Alaska landlord have to return my deposit?
14 days if you gave proper written notice that you were leaving and you owe nothing. If the landlord deducts for damages, or you did not give proper notice, the deadline stretches to 30 days. Either way, you must get an itemized written statement mailed to your last known address.
Does my Alaska landlord have to hold my deposit in a separate account?
Yes. Alaska requires the landlord to promptly place your deposit and any prepaid rent, wherever practicable, in a trust account at a bank, savings and loan association, or licensed escrow agent, and to tell you the terms under which the money can be withheld.
What can I do if my Alaska landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
If the landlord wilfully failed to follow the deposit rules, you can recover up to twice the amount that was wrongfully withheld. Keep your written notice and forwarding address, and get the landlord to send the itemized statement so you can show what was kept without cause.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.