An Alaska Rental Application is a document helping landlords, owners, or property managers screen potential tenants before offering a lease agreement.
In Alaska, a rental application requires basic information about prospective tenants, including their name, current address, rental history, financial and employment data, and references.
State Laws
Below you can find crucial details about renting in Alaska, including application fees, security deposits, pet deposits, conducting an eviction record search, and further useful resources.
Application Fees
Alaska law allows landlords to charge a rental application fee and does not impose a limit on the amount. The fee should be reasonable and comparable to the cost of background check fees and should designate refundable or nonrefundable on the application.
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.
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 rental application. However, you can run a court record search yourself to verify the information using the Alaska Court System website:
- Go to the Alaska CourtView 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 the time of this writing.
- 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 in Alaska might prove may prevent you from issuing an eviction notice later.
Other Landlord Resources
Alaska’s Fair Housing Act mirrors the Federal Fair Housing Act. 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). In Alaska, 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 in Alaska. Offenders from other states are required to register with Alaska’s database upon arriving in the state.
Landlords can contact the Alaska 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 for landlords and tenants with legal questions. The toll-free number, 855-743-1001, is available Monday through Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sample
You can download this Alaska rental application form or use our document builder to create a custom application.
