Alaska Security Deposit Mailing, Forwarding Address and Trust Account Rules
An Alaska deposit comes back by mail, and the landlord has to hold it in a trust account in the meantime. Here is where the notice goes, what to send when you move out and how the trust account rules protect your money.
Where does the Alaska landlord mail the refund?
The itemized written notice is mailed to the tenant’s last known address (AS 34.03.070(b)). If the landlord does not know the mailing address but knows or has reason to know how to contact the tenant, it must make a reasonable effort to deliver the notice and refund (070(g)). The section we read does not make a forwarding address in writing a condition of the refund, but giving one removes any doubt.
What should a tenant send when moving out?
A short, dated message that gives the address for the refund: “I moved out of [rental address] and returned possession on [date]. Please mail my deposit and any itemized notice to [new address]. My phone and e-mail are [contact].” Send it by a method that leaves a record, such as certified mail or an e-mail the landlord has answered, and keep a copy. Include the termination notice you gave, because a complying notice starts the 14-day clock.
Where must the landlord keep the deposit?
All money paid as prepaid rent or a security deposit must be promptly deposited, wherever practicable, in a trust account in a bank, savings and loan association or licensed escrow agent, and the landlord must give the tenant the terms and conditions under which the money may be withheld (070(c)). The landlord may keep prepaid rent and deposits in a single financial account but must account separately for each tenant and may not commingle them with other funds, or use one tenant’s money to refund another tenant, pay another tenant’s rent or cover another tenant’s damages.
Does Alaska require a move-out inspection?
The deposit section does not mention a move-out inspection, a walk-through or photographs. That is not a reason to skip them: dated move-in and move-out photographs and any condition checklist in your lease are the best evidence if a deduction is disputed. The tenant’s duty to leave the premises in substantially the same condition, except for normal wear and tear, makes the starting condition important (AS 34.03.120(c)).
How do the timing and the address fit together?
The deadline runs from the date the tenancy ends and possession is delivered, or from the landlord’s awareness of abandonment if no complying notice was given, and the mailing must be made by then. Use the Alaska security deposit return deadline calculator to find the date, and see the 14- and 30-day deadlines.
What if the tenant abandoned the unit?
The statute defines abandonment as the tenant having left the dwelling unit and personal belongings in it, been absent for a continuous period of seven days or longer without giving the required notice, and defaulted in rent (AS 34.03.360). The 30-day deposit clock can run from the date the landlord becomes aware of the abandonment.
A checklist for tenants
Give the termination notice in writing, keeping a copy and proof of the date; photograph the unit when you hand back possession; send your new mailing address in writing; calendar the 14-day or 30-day deadline with the Alaska security deposit return deadline calculator; and keep the itemized notice and the envelope if one arrives. If nothing arrives, write to the landlord before taking further steps.
A checklist for landlords
Deposit the money promptly in a trust account where practicable; give the tenant the terms under which it may be withheld; keep each tenant’s money separate from other funds; mail an itemized notice and the refund to the tenant’s last known address within the deadline; and make a reasonable effort to deliver them when the address is unknown but the tenant can be contacted (AS 34.03.070(c), (g)).
Frequently asked questions
Does the tenant have to give a forwarding address in Alaska?
The deposit section does not make it a condition, but the landlord mails the itemized notice to the tenant’s last known address, so giving a current one is the safe course.
Where must an Alaska landlord keep a security deposit?
In a trust account in a bank, savings and loan association or licensed escrow agent, promptly and where practicable.
Can a landlord commingle my deposit with its own money?
No. The landlord may keep deposits and prepaid rent in a single account but may not commingle them with other funds, and must account separately for each tenant.
Does Alaska require a move-out inspection?
The deposit section does not mention one; check your lease.
What counts as an abandoned unit?
The tenant has left the unit and belongings, been absent for seven days or longer without the required notice, and defaulted in rent.
Official sources
- AS 34.03.070(b), (c), (g): mailing, trust account and unknown addresses
- AS 34.03.120: tenant obligations
- AS 34.03.360: definitions, including abandonment
A local landlord-tenant attorney can review your situation — many offer a free consultation.
This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited Alaska statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Alaska attorney.