Alaska Stat. § 09.45. § 09.45.090

Unlawful holding by force

In Force

Verified 10/28/2026 · Next check 11/4/2026

Operative Text

(a) For property to which the provisions of AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) apply, unlawful holding by force includes each of the following:
(1) when, for failure or refusal to pay rent due on the lease or agreement under which the tenant or person holds, and after service, under AS 09.45.100(b), of the written notice required by AS 34.03.220(b) by the landlord for recovery of possession of the premises if the rent is not paid, the tenant or person in possession fails or refuses to vacate or pay the rent within seven days;

(2) when,
(A) after a violation of a condition or covenant set out in AS 34.03.120(a), other than a breach of AS 34.03.120(a)(5) due to the deliberate infliction of substantial damage to the premises, or after a breach or violation of a condition or covenant in a lease or rental agreement and following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to remedy the breach or to deliver up the possession of the premises within the number of days provided for termination under AS 34.03.220(a)(2);

(B) after a violation of AS 34.03.120(a)(5) by deliberate infliction of substantial damage to the premises, following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises by the date set out in the written notice to quit under AS 34.03.220(a)(1);

(C) after a violation of AS 34.03.220(e) following discontinuance of a public utility service, following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises by the date set out in the written notice to quit under AS 34.03.220(e);

(D) the landlord requires the tenant to vacate the premises for a reason set out in AS 34.03.310(c)(2) or (c)(4) — (7), following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises within the longer of 30 days or the period of notice for the landlord's recovery of possession of the premises set out in the rental agreement;

(E) in a mobile home park, there is to be a change in the use of land for which termination of tenancy is authorized by AS 34.03.225(a)(4), following service of written notice to quit, the mobile home dweller or tenant fails or refuses to vacate within the number of days provided for termination under AS 34.03.225(a)(4);

(F) after termination of a periodic tenancy as prescribed by AS 34.03.290(a) or (b), following service of written notice to quit, the tenant remains in possession without the landlord's consent after expiration of the term of the rental agreement or after the date of its expiration;

(G) after the tenant has violated AS 34.03.120(b) or the tenant has used the dwelling unit or allowed the dwelling unit to be used for an illegal purpose in violation of AS 34.03.310(c)(3) other than a breach of AS 34.03.120(b), following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises within five days; or

(H) following service of written notice to quit, a person in possession continues in possession of the premises without a valid rental agreement, as that term is defined in AS 34.03.360, and without the consent of the landlord; or

(3) when, without a notice to quit, a tenant or person in possession continues in possession of the premises after the tenancy has been terminated by issuance of an order of abatement under AS 09.50.210(a).

(b) For property to which the provisions of AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) do not apply, unlawful holding by force includes each of the following:
(1) when, for failure or refusal to pay rent due on the lease or agreement under which the tenant or person in possession holds, after service, under AS 09.45.100(c), of demand made in writing by the landlord for the possession of the premises if the rent is not paid, the tenant or person in possession fails or refuses to vacate or pay the rent due within seven days;

(2) when, following service of a written notice to quit,
(A) after the tenant or person in possession has breached or violated a condition or covenant of the lease or rental agreement other than breach of a covenant or condition set out in (B) of this paragraph, the tenant or person in possession of a premises fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises within 10 days;

(B) after the tenant or person in possession has deliberately inflicted substantial damage to the premises, the tenant or person in possession of a premises fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises on the date required by the landlord; the date specified may not be less than 24 hours after demand for possession of the premises by the landlord;

(C) after the tenant or person in possession has violated AS 34.05.100(a) or has used the premises for or allowed the premises to be used for an illegal purpose, the tenant or person in possession fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises within five days;

(D) for premises the lease or occupation of which is primarily for the purpose of farming or agriculture, after the tenant or person in possession has violated AS 34.05.025, other than a violation that is a breach under (B) or (C) of this paragraph, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up possession of the premises within 30 days;

(E) a tenancy based upon an estate at will terminates, and the tenant or person in possession continues in possession of the premises; or

(F) a person in possession continues in possession of the premises
(i) at the expiration of the time limited in the lease or agreement under which that person holds; or

(ii) without a written lease or agreement and without the consent of the landlord; or

(3) when, without a notice to quit, a tenant or person in possession continues in the possession of the premises after the tenancy has been terminated by issuance of an order of abatement under AS 09.50.210(a).

(c) When a landlord who is required to provide written notice to a tenant or person in possession under (a) or (b) of this section, provides notice by mail, notwithstanding any other provision of law, three days must be added to the period set out in (a) or (b) of this section to determine the date on and after which the tenant or person in possession unlawfully holds by force.

Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim

Plain English

Alaska Statute AS 09.45.090 defines the circumstances under which a tenant or occupant is considered to be 'unlawfully holding by force' — a legal status that can trigger eviction proceedings. The statute covers a wide range of situations, including nonpayment of rent, lease violations, deliberate property damage, illegal use of the premises, and holdover after a tenancy ends, with different notice periods applying depending on the type of violation. When notice is delivered by mail, AS 09.45.090(c) adds three days to whatever notice period would otherwise apply before the unlawful-holdover status takes effect.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 28, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Operators subject to Alaska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (AS 34.03) must follow the specific notice procedures and waiting periods outlined in AS 09.45.090(a) before a tenant's continued occupancy qualifies as unlawful holding by force. Compliant operators generally serve written notices that match the type of violation — for example, a seven-day pay-or-vacate notice for nonpayment, or a shorter notice for deliberate property damage — and add three days to any notice period when delivery is made by mail, as required by AS 09.45.090(c). For properties outside the scope of AS 34.03, the parallel requirements in AS 09.45.090(b) govern, with their own distinct notice periods depending on the nature of the breach.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under AS 09.45.090, a tenant cannot be treated as unlawfully holding by force unless the landlord has followed the specific notice requirements and allowed the applicable waiting period to expire — and if notice was mailed, three additional days must be added to that period under AS 09.45.090(c). Tenants who believe a notice was improperly served, used the wrong timeframe, or did not match the type of violation alleged may have grounds to raise those procedural defects as a defense in an eviction proceeding. Tenant-rights organizations in Alaska can help occupants understand which notice period applies to their situation and what options exist, such as remedying a curable lease violation within the allotted time.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 28, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.