RR
Rent Regulations

Alaska Stat. § 34.03. § 34.03.230

Remedies for absence, nonuse and abandonment

In Force
Verified 10/28/2026 · Next check 11/4/2026
AlaskaEviction & Just Cause

Operative Text

Alaska Stat. § 34.03. § 34.03.230
(a) When the rental agreement requires the tenant to give notice to the landlord of an anticipated extended absence in excess of seven days as required in AS 34.03.150 and the tenant wilfully fails to do so, the landlord may recover an amount not to exceed one and one-half times the actual damages.

(b) During an absence of the tenant in excess of seven days, the landlord may enter the dwelling unit at times reasonably necessary as provided in AS 34.03.140. The landlord may reenter the dwelling unit and, if there is evidence that the tenant has abandoned the dwelling unit, unless the landlord and tenant have made a specific agreement to the contrary, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement.

(c) If the tenant abandons the dwelling unit, the landlord shall make reasonable efforts to rent it at a fair rental value.  If the landlord rents the dwelling unit for a term beginning before the expiration of the rental agreement, the agreement is considered terminated on the date the new tenancy begins. The rental agreement is considered terminated by the landlord on the date the landlord has notice of the abandonment if the landlord fails to use reasonable efforts to rent the dwelling unit at a fair rental value or if the landlord accepts the abandonment as a surrender.  If the tenancy is from month to month, or week to week, the term of the rental agreement for purposes of this section shall be considered a month or a week, as the case may be.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Alaska Statute AS 34.03.230 addresses what happens when a tenant is absent from a rental unit for an extended period or abandons it entirely. If a tenant was required to notify the landlord of an absence longer than seven days but willfully failed to do so, the landlord may seek up to one and a half times actual damages. During a lengthy absence, a landlord may enter the unit at reasonable times, and if evidence of abandonment exists, may terminate the rental agreement — but the landlord is also obligated to make reasonable efforts to re-rent the unit at fair market value rather than simply letting it sit vacant.

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

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under AS 34.03.230, property owners and managers generally document any evidence of abandonment carefully before taking action, since the right to terminate hinges on that evidence. Compliant operators make reasonable, good-faith efforts to re-rent a vacated unit at fair rental value rather than allowing it to remain empty and accumulating unpaid rent claims. When a tenant's rental agreement required advance notice of extended absences and that notice was willfully withheld, AS 34.03.230(a) allows recovery of up to one and a half times actual damages — but operators typically track and document those actual damages to support any such claim.

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

For Tenants

AS 34.03.230 sets important limits on what a landlord can do when a tenant is away or has left a unit: a landlord cannot simply pocket ongoing rent if the unit is abandoned — they must actively try to re-rent it at a fair price. If your rental agreement required you to notify the landlord of absences longer than seven days, willfully skipping that notice can expose you to enhanced damages under this provision, so understanding what your specific lease requires is important. Tenants who believe a landlord has wrongly terminated a rental agreement or failed to mitigate damages under AS 34.03.230 may consider contacting a tenant-rights organization in Alaska or consulting with a housing attorney to understand available remedies.

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.

Effective Timeline

Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

AS 34.03.150
AS 34.03.140

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

AS 34.03.220
AS 34.03.120
AS 34.03.310
AS 34.03.225
AS 34.03.290
AS 34.03.360
AS 34.03.220
AS 34.03.310
AS 34.03.360
AS 34.03.360
AS 34.03.020
AS 34.03.100
AS 34.03.120
AS 34.03.290
AS 34.03.100
AS 34.03.290
AS 34.03.020
AS 34.03.070
AS 34.03.070
AS 34.03.020
AS 34.03.070
AS 34.03.230
AS 34.03.100
AS 34.03.070
AS 34.03.090
AS 34.03.100
AS 34.03.160
AS 34.03.070
AS 34.03.070
AS 34.03.120
AS 34.03.130
AS 34.03.150
AS 34.03.140
AS 34.03.020
AS 34.03.080
AS 34.03.150
AS 34.03.100
AS 34.03.210
AS 34.03.160
AS 34.03.080
AS 34.03.130
AS 34.03.360
AS 34.03.130

Related Rules

§ 151.20
TEMPORARY EVICTION CONTROLS AND RENT REDUCTIONS FOR MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED IN THE JANUARY, 1994 EARTHQUAKE
§ 1
Definitions
§ 2
Eviction of tenants prohibited; exceptions

Source Information

Source:https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=34.03.010&secEnd=34.03.380
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