Alaska Rent Increase Notice

Q: What is a rent increase notice in Alaska?

In Alaska it is the written notice a landlord uses to raise the rent on a residential tenancy, giving the new monthly figure and the date it begins. On a month-to-month tenancy the raise takes effect only after the 30-day notice under AS 34.03.290 has run. It keeps the tenancy in place and changes just the rent from that date on. It also cannot be retaliatory or discriminatory under AS 34.03.310.

Q: How much notice must an Alaska landlord give before raising the rent?

At least 30 days before the rental due date, in writing, on a month-to-month tenancy (AS 34.03.290). The size of the raise does not change that period, so a small increase and a large one both run 30 days. The new rent cannot start until the window has closed.

Q: Can an Alaska landlord raise the rent to retaliate against a tenant?

No. Under AS 34.03.310 a rent increase cannot be used to punish a tenant for exercising a legal right, such as reporting a code violation, and it cannot target a tenant because of a protected characteristic. A raise that lands soon after a protected act can look retaliatory, so the reason and the timing matter as much as the 30-day notice under AS 34.03.290.

Q: Is there a limit on how much an Alaska landlord can raise the rent?

No statewide cap. Alaska sets no ceiling on the amount, so the landlord chooses the new figure once the 30-day notice is given (AS 34.03.290). No Alaska city or borough currently runs rent control, though a local ordinance could add rules if one were adopted. The raise must still be free of retaliation and discrimination under AS 34.03.310.

Q: Can an Alaska landlord raise the rent during a fixed-term lease?

Generally no. A fixed-term lease sets the rent for its whole term, so an Alaska landlord can change it mid-term only where the lease expressly allows that. Otherwise the increase waits for renewal or applies to a month-to-month tenancy, where the 30-day notice under AS 34.03.290 governs the timing.

Q: How should an Alaska landlord serve a rent increase notice?

In writing, delivered in person or by mail, so the tenant has the full 30 days before the rental due date when the new rent applies (AS 34.03.290). Keep proof of how and when it was served in case the raise is later questioned. A spoken notice is not enough.

Q: What must an Alaska rent increase notice include?

It should name the landlord and tenant, give the rental address, list the current and new monthly rent, and set the effective date, confirming it clears the 30 days AS 34.03.290 requires and saying how rent is paid. Clear dates and amounts show the tenant exactly when the new rent begins.

Q: What happens if an Alaska rent increase notice gives too little notice?

A raise served with fewer than 30 days notice does not take effect on the date written on it. Under AS 34.03.290 it becomes effective only after a full 30-day period before a rental due date has run, so a tenant may keep paying the prior rent until then and treat the short notice as not yet in force.

In Alaska a landlord must give at least 30 days written notice before raising the rent on a month-to-month tenancy (AS 34.03.290). Alaska has no statewide rent cap. Attorney review available.

Introduction

Two Alaska statutes shape a rent increase. The first, AS 34.03.290, supplies the timing: on a month-to-month tenancy a landlord changes the arrangement, rent included, by written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date, and the higher rent cannot start until that window closes. The second, AS 34.03.310, sets the outer limit on why: a raise cannot retaliate against a tenant who used a legal right, and it cannot single a tenant out for a protected characteristic. Alaska attaches no tier to the size of the raise, so a modest adjustment and a large one both run the same 30 days. No statewide cap fixes the amount, which leaves the figure to the landlord, though a local ordinance could add rules where one exists; none is in force in Alaska today. A fixed-term lease keeps its rent through the term unless the lease permits a change, so the notice fits a month-to-month tenancy or waits for renewal. Put the parties, the rental address, the current rent, the new rent, and the effective date in writing, and count the 30 days carefully, because a short notice waits until a proper period before a rental due date has run. DocDraft assembles your Alaska rent increase notice from the details you enter, with attorney review available before you serve it.

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Key Things to Know

1
A rent increase notice is a written notice from an Alaska landlord telling a tenant the rent will rise, stating the new monthly amount and the date it first applies.
2
On a month-to-month tenancy the landlord changes the rent by written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date, with the same 30 days whatever the size of the raise (AS 34.03.290).
3
A rent increase in Alaska cannot retaliate against a tenant who used a legal right, and it cannot rest on a protected characteristic (AS 34.03.310).
4
No statewide cap sets the amount, so the landlord chooses it; a local ordinance could add rules where one exists, though none is in force in Alaska today.
5
A fixed-term lease keeps its rent through the term unless the lease permits a change, so this notice fits a month-to-month tenancy or takes hold at renewal.
6
Name the parties, give the rental address, list the current and new monthly rent, and set the effective date, all in writing.
7
A notice shorter than 30 days does not start on the date named; the raise waits until a full period before a rental due date has run.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Rent Increase Notice in Alaska, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Rent Increase Notice guide walks through them.

Open the Rent Increase Notice guide

Customize your Rent Increase Notice Template with DocDraft

[LANDLORD / PROPERTY OWNER NAME] [LANDLORD ADDRESS] [CITY, ALASKA ZIP] [EMAIL] [PHONE]

[DATE]

[TENANT NAME] [RENTAL ADDRESS, UNIT #] [CITY, ALASKA ZIP]

Re: Rent going up at [RENTAL ADDRESS, UNIT #], Alaska

Dear [TENANT NAME]:

This letter gives you written notice that the rent for the home you occupy at [RENTAL ADDRESS] in Alaska will rise. You hold this property on a month-to-month tenancy, now at $[CURRENT MONTHLY RENT] per month.

Starting [EFFECTIVE DATE], the rent will be $[NEW MONTHLY RENT] per month, due on the usual day and paid the usual way. The change adds $[INCREASE AMOUNT] to your current rent, about [PERCENT] percent.

The timing here comes from Alaska Statutes Section 34.03.290. On a month-to-month tenancy the rent is changed by written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date, and the effective date above is set to give you that full period. The size of the increase does not shorten or lengthen that window; the same 30 days apply to this change.

This raise is an ordinary business decision, not a response to anything you have done. Under Alaska Statutes Section 34.03.310, a rent increase cannot be used to retaliate against a tenant for exercising a legal right, and it cannot be based on a protected characteristic. Alaska sets no statewide cap on the amount, and no Alaska city or borough currently runs rent control, so the new figure is fixed by this notice and the terms of your tenancy.

Every other term stays the same. This notice changes only the monthly rent going forward; your security deposit and the rest of the rental agreement are unchanged, and the tenancy does not end. You may accept the new rent and stay, talk with me about the amount, or give proper written notice and move before the increase takes effect. Count the 30 days from the day this notice reaches you to the rental due date above; the whole period must fall between them before the new rent can begin. I am serving this notice in writing and keeping a dated copy, and a written record on your side helps just as much if any question about the timing comes up later. If you think the dates fall short of the 30 days Alaska requires, tell me in writing and we will review them. Questions about the amount or the effective date can go to the phone number or email above.

Please update your records so the payment due on or after [EFFECTIVE DATE] reflects the new rent of $[NEW MONTHLY RENT]. Staying on or after that date means the new rent applies.

Sincerely,

[LANDLORD / PROPERTY OWNER NAME]

Delivery record: Served on [DATE] by [personal delivery / mail to the address above]. Keep a copy for your records.

Note: This Alaska rent increase notice draws on AS 34.03.290 and AS 34.03.310. Alaska sets a 30-day notice for a month-to-month tenancy, bars retaliatory or discriminatory increases, and has no statewide rent cap. For the generic template and other states, see the Rent Increase Notice hub.

Alaska Requirements for Rent Increase Notice

30-Day Month-to-Month Notice
On a month-to-month tenancy an Alaska landlord must give at least 30 days written notice before the rental due date to raise the rent (AS 34.03.290). The effective date must give the tenant at least that many days. Alaska does not add tiers based on the size of the increase.
No Statewide Rent Cap
Alaska has no statewide rent cap, so a landlord may set the new amount as long as the required notice is given. No Alaska city or borough currently imposes rent control, so there is no local cap on the amount of an increase. The new rent is set by this notice and the terms of the tenancy.
No Mid-Lease Increase on a Fixed Term
Rent on a fixed-term lease cannot be raised during the term unless the lease specifically allows it, because the rent is a fixed term of the contract. A rent increase notice applies to a month-to-month tenancy or takes effect when a fixed-term lease renews.
Written Notice Before the Rental Due Date
The notice must be in writing and delivered so the tenant has at least 30 days before the rental due date on which the new rent applies (AS 34.03.290). Deliver it personally or by mail and keep proof of how and when it was served. A verbal statement is not enough.
Counting the Effective Date
Count at least 30 days from when the notice is given to the rental due date stated in the notice (AS 34.03.290). The increase takes effect only on or after that due date; set the effective date so the full notice period has run.
What the Notice Must State
The notice should identify the landlord and tenant, give the rental address, state the current monthly rent and the new monthly rent, and state the effective date, confirming it gives at least the 30 days AS 34.03.290 requires. Clear dates and amounts tell the tenant when the new rent applies.
A Short Notice Does Not Take Effect
A rent increase served with less than 30 days notice does not take effect on the stated date. Under AS 34.03.290 the increase is effective only after a proper notice period runs, and a tenant may continue paying the prior rent until then.
Local Ordinances May Apply
No Alaska city or borough currently imposes rent control, so there is no local ordinance that caps the amount of an increase today. If a local ordinance is ever adopted where the unit is located, it could add rules, so it is worth checking the local code. The increase also may not be retaliatory or discriminatory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a rent increase notice in Alaska?

How much notice must an Alaska landlord give before raising the rent?

Can an Alaska landlord raise the rent to retaliate against a tenant?

Is there a limit on how much an Alaska landlord can raise the rent?

Can an Alaska landlord raise the rent during a fixed-term lease?

How should an Alaska landlord serve a rent increase notice?

What must an Alaska rent increase notice include?

What happens if an Alaska rent increase notice gives too little notice?

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Rent Increase Notice Template with DocDraft

Alaska Requirements for Rent Increase Notice

30-Day Month-to-Month Notice

No Statewide Rent Cap

No Mid-Lease Increase on a Fixed Term

Written Notice Before the Rental Due Date

Counting the Effective Date

What the Notice Must State

A Short Notice Does Not Take Effect

Local Ordinances May Apply

Frequently Asked Questions