An Alaska Rental Application is a document helping landlords, owners, or property managers screen potential tenants before committing to sign a lease.
The application requires basic information about prospective tenants, including their name, current address, rental history, financial and employment data, and references.
Laws
- Application Fee – Non-refundable
- Fee Limits – No limits, although the fee cannot be attributed to the security deposit (Page 5 of the Landlord-Tenant Handbook).
- Security Deposit – AS 34.03.070(a). – security deposits cannot exceed two months’ rent, but there is no maximum limit if the rent is over $2,000.
State Laws
Application Fees
Alaska law allows landlords to charge a fee and does not impose a limit on the amount. The cost should be reasonable and comparable to background check fees. Clearly state whether it’s refundable or not.
Security Deposits
Landlords may require a security deposit to cover damages or unpaid rent. You must provide a written receipt for any deposit paid and maintain a separate account for security deposits.
Pet Deposits
Landlords can charge an additional deposit of up to one month’s rent as a pet deposit, but only if the pet is not a service animal. Alaska follows the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in recognizing service animals as dogs or miniature horses trained to assist a person with a physical or psychiatric disability. Neither the ADA nor Alaska recognizes emotional support animals as service animals.
Other resources:
- Alaska’s Fair Housing Act mirrors the Federal Fair Housing Act [1] . Landlords and property owners may not discriminate against a renter based on race, religion, national origin, familial status, disability, or sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation). A landlord can ask about family status if the premises are for “housing for older persons.” It is permitted to exclude children from an age-restricted or seniors-only residence.
- According to Megan’s Law, Alaska maintains a Sex Offender Registry that tracks individuals convicted of certain sex-related crimes. Offenders from other states are required to register with the database upon arriving in the state.
- Landlords can contact the Consumer Protection Unit for assistance finding resources in legal or other disputes. Note the office cannot provide legal services.
- The Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) has a Landlord-Tenant Helpline. The toll-free number, 855-743-1001, is available Monday through Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
How to Conduct an Eviction Record Search
If the prospective tenants have broken a lease or have an eviction on record from a previous rental, they should have indicated it on the application. However, you can run a court record search yourself to verify the information using the Court System website:
- Go to the Alaska Court website
- Read the instructions carefully. You can make payments only with Visa or Mastercard. The court did not accept PayPal and other online payment forms at this time.
- Press the Search Cases button.
- Perform the search with the prospective tenant’s name and other identifying information, such as the date of birth or case type.
- Always verify the identity of the individual. People often have the same or similar names.
- Always verify the verdict in a criminal case. Check if the defendant was guilty, pled out, or paid a fine.
- Credit card transactions require a 3% convenience fee.
Researching a potential tenant’s history of evictions might prevent you from issuing an eviction notice later.