Alaska Security Deposit Law: Limits, Deadlines, and Penalties
What Alaska landlords can charge, when deposits must be returned, and what it costs to get it wrong. Last reviewed 2026-08-12.
How much can a landlord charge in Alaska?
Alaska limits combined security deposits and prepaid rent to two months' periodic rent. The cap does not apply to units renting for more than $2,000 per month. An additional pet deposit of up to one month's rent is allowed on top of the cap for tenants with a non-service animal.
Landlords may collect an additional pet deposit of up to one month's rent for a non-service animal; it must be accounted for separately and applied only to pet-related damage.
When must the deposit be returned?
The landlord must mail the refund within 14 days after the tenancy terminates and the tenant delivers possession, if the tenant gave proper termination notice and no damage deductions are taken. The deadline extends to 30 days if the landlord deducts for damages, or if the tenant failed to give the notice required by AS 34.03.290 or abandoned the unit.
The landlord must mail written notice to the tenant's last known address itemizing any amounts withheld for accrued rent and damages, along with any refund due. There is no statutory receipt threshold.
What happens if a landlord misses the deadline?
A landlord who willfully fails to comply with the return and itemization requirements is liable for up to twice the amount actually withheld. Courts can award the penalty even if the landlord eventually returns the money.
Interest and holding requirements
Alaska statute does not require the deposit to earn interest or that interest be paid to the tenant. No Alaska municipality imposes its own deposit-interest requirement.
Deposits and prepaid rent must be promptly placed, wherever practicable, in a trust account at a bank, savings and loan association, or licensed escrow agent, and may not be commingled with the landlord's other funds. Deposits from multiple tenants may share one account if accounted for separately.
What Alaska landlords get wrong
The trust-account rule is the provision small landlords most often miss — keeping a tenant's deposit in a personal checking account violates the statute. The return deadline depends on the tenant's conduct: a tenant who gives proper notice and leaves no damage must be refunded in 14 days, while deductions or improper notice give the landlord 30 days. Alaska has no move-out inspection statute, so document condition with photos; the Alaska Department of Law publishes a plain-language landlord-tenant guide that courts and tenants commonly reference.
The law itself
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Alaska?
Up to two months' rent, counting security deposit and prepaid rent together. The cap disappears entirely for units renting above $2,000 per month, where landlords can charge any deposit the market bears. Landlords may also add a pet deposit of up to one more month's rent if you have a pet that is not a service animal.
How long does an Alaska landlord have to return a security deposit?
Fourteen days after the tenancy ends and you hand back possession, if you gave proper termination notice and the landlord takes no damage deductions. The window stretches to 30 days when the landlord deducts for damages, or when you failed to give required notice or abandoned the unit. The refund and itemized statement must be mailed to your last known address.
Does an Alaska landlord have to keep my deposit in a separate account?
Yes. Alaska requires landlords to promptly place deposits and prepaid rent in a trust account at a bank, savings and loan, or licensed escrow agent, wherever practicable, and bars mixing that money with the landlord's own funds. Deposits from several tenants can share one trust account as long as each tenant's money is separately accounted for.
What is the penalty for not returning a security deposit in Alaska?
A landlord who willfully misses the 14- or 30-day deadline or skips the itemized statement can be ordered to pay up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, on top of returning what you are owed. You can sue in Alaska small claims court for up to $10,000. Save your termination notice and forwarding address as evidence of when the clock started.
Keep reading
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Vantric tracks your leases, deposits, and move-out dates in one place, built for landlords with 1–10 units.
Start Free TrialThis page is general information, not legal advice. Statutes change — verify against the official text linked above or consult a local attorney before acting.