Alaska Security Deposit Return: The 14 or 30-Day Deadline (2026)

How long a landlord has to return your deposit, and what you can claim if they miss it

At a glance

Return deadline: 14 or 30 days after vacating
Measured from: Termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession (tenant gave proper notice)
Penalty for late or wrongful withholding: 2x (only after a court finds bad faith)
Deposit cap: Two months' periodic rent (combined deposit + prepaid rent); no cap where monthly rent exceeds $2,000. A separate pet deposit of up to 1 month's rent is allowed — § 34.03.070(a), (h).
Small claims cap: $10,000

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers residential security deposits in Alaska, where a landlord has kept some or all of a deposit after a tenancy ends.

It does not cover:

Commercial leases
Deposits held in an escrow account or with a third party
Disputes about damage charges in an ongoing (not ended) tenancy
Any state other than Alaska

Lease terms and local ordinances can change what applies. Where a city has its own deposit rules, those may differ from the state statute below.

What the statute actually says

14days

Measured from Termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession (tenant gave proper notice).

If the tenant gave proper notice of termination and complied, the landlord must provide a written itemized list of accrued rent and damages, together with any refund, within 14 days of termination and delivery of possession.

Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(b) ↗

30days

Measured from Termination of the tenancy (deductions taken, or tenant failed to give proper notice / abandoned).

If the tenant did not give proper notice, abandoned the dwelling, or the landlord deducts for damages from the tenant's failure to fulfill obligations, the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit or provide the itemized notice.

Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(g) ↗

Penalties

A landlord who withholds in bad faith may be liable for 2x the portion wrongfully withheld.

If the landlord WILLFULLY fails to comply with the return requirements, the tenant may recover up to TWICE the amount wrongfully withheld. Willfulness is a required finding; mere negligence is not enough.
Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(d) ↗

Working out your own deadline

The clock does not start on the day you decided to leave. In Alaska it starts Termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession (tenant gave proper notice) — for most leases that is the date you hand back the keys, not the date your notice period began.

Find the date you vacated and returned the keys. Write it down; everything else depends on it.
Add 14 or 30 calendar days. Count calendar days, not business days.
If the landlord has provided a forwarding address, check the statute for whether the deadline is shortened — in some states it is.
Note the date the deadline falls on. If the deposit has not arrived by then, the clock for the penalty starts running.

Common landlord defences and how to answer them

““I'm keeping it for a nonrefundable cleaning fee.””

A "cleaning fee" is simply another name for a security deposit. If I kept the unit as clean and safe as conditions permit, you have no cleaning expense to charge against my deposit.

Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070

““You didn't give notice, so I had 30 days.””

Even so, if you willfully failed to return my deposit or provide an itemized list, I may recover up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.

Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(d)

““The deposit was three months' rent.””

The combined deposit and prepaid rent is capped at two months' rent, unless the monthly rent exceeds $2,000.

Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(a)

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked against the source.

Statute	Last verified	Source
Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(b)	2026-10-15	official text ↗
Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(g)	2026-10-15	official text ↗
Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(d)	2026-10-15	official text ↗
Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(a)	2026-10-15	official text ↗

Primary reference: Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070 (Security deposits and prepaid rent). Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Amendments are recorded on the site changelog.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help letter is the right starting point for a single deposit you can document. Get legal help if:

You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
The amount in dispute exceeds $10,000
Your landlord has filed anything in court already

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More Alaska guides

Alaska Security Deposit Rules

→ All Alaska tenant rights topics

Common questions

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

14 or 30 days, counted from Termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession (tenant gave proper notice). Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(b).

Can I claim more than my deposit back in Alaska?

A landlord who withholds in bad faith may be liable for 2x the portion wrongfully withheld. Alaska Stat. § 34.03.070(d)

Does the 14 or 30-day deadline in Alaska start when I give notice or when I move out?

It runs from Termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession (tenant gave proper notice) — the date you vacated and returned the keys, not the date your notice period began.

Do I need a lawyer to file a deposit claim in Alaska?

No — Alaska small claims (District Court) handle claims up to $10,000. Attorney representation is permitted but not required.