An Alaska landlord may apply a security deposit to accrued rent and damages caused by tenant noncompliance. The statute excludes deterioration caused by normal wear and tear.
Allowed deduction categories
The core categories are:
- accrued rent
- damages caused by tenant noncompliance
If the landlord keeps money, the accounting should explain what was withheld and why.
Normal wear is different
Normal wear is the ordinary decline that happens from living in a rental. Damage is different. Damage usually means something beyond ordinary use, and the landlord should be able to connect the charge to the tenant's responsibility.
Examples are fact-specific, but the practical question is simple: does the charge reflect real damage, or is it ordinary aging, use, or turnover?
Damage deductions affect the deadline
Damage deductions can put the landlord in the 30-day branch. That is one reason the written accounting matters. It should make clear whether the landlord is claiming damage and what that claim is based on.
Proof that helps
Keep move-in photos, move-out photos, videos, cleaning records, repair requests, messages, inspection notes, and the landlord's accounting.
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Sources used for this guide
Source reviewed: April 2026.
Important: This page is general educational information, not legal advice.