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Alaska Landlord Responsibility to Maintain Premises

In the state of Alaska, landlords are required to adopt the following responsibilities with regard to keeping a rental property in a fit and habitable condition for tenants:

Repairs

The landlord shall make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition;

Common Areas

The landlord shall keep all common areas of the premises in a clean and safe condition;

Facilities and Appliances

The landlord shall maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, kitchen, and other facilities and appliances, including elevators, supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord;

Waste Management

The landlord shall provide and maintain appropriate receptacles and conveniences for the removal of ashes, garbage, rubbish, and other waste incidental to the occupancy of the dwelling unit and arrange for their removal;

Running Water and Heat

The landlord shall supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water and heat at all times, insofar as energy conditions permit, except where:

  • The building that includes the dwelling unit is so constructed that heat or hot water is generated by an installation within the exclusive control of the tenant and supplied by a direct public utility connection;
  • The premises do not have a well or water provided by a direct public utility connection and the rental agreement specifically states that the duty of the landlord to supply running water or hot water to the premises is waived by the tenant;

Note: A landlord of a single family residence located in an undeveloped rural area or located where public sewer or water service has never been connected is not liable for this subsection (or Facilities and Appliances) if the dwelling unit at the beginning of the rental agreement did not have running water, hot water, sewage, or sanitary facilities from a private system.

Locks and Keys

If requested by the tenant, the landlord shall provide and maintain locks and furnish keys reasonably adequate to ensure safety to the tenant’s person and property;

Detection Devices

The landlord shall provide smoke detection devices and carbon monoxide detection devices.

Assigning Responsibilities for a One- or Two-Family Residence

The landlord and tenant of a one- or two-family residence may agree in writing that the tenant perform the landlord’s duties specified in the subsections Waste Management, Running Water and Heat, Locks and Keys, and Detection Devices.

A tenant may agree to perform the duties specified in the subsection Facilities and Appliances in rental units where the rent exceeds $2,000 a month. They may also agree in writing that the tenant perform specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations, and remodeling, but the tenant may not agree to maintain elevators in good and safe working order.

Note: Agreements are allowed under this subsection only if the transaction is entered into in good faith and not for the purpose of evading the obligations of the landlord.

Assigning Responsibilities for Other Dwelling Unit

The landlord and tenant of a dwelling unit other than a single family residence may agree that the tenant is to perform specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations, or remodeling only if

  • The agreement of the parties is entered into in good faith and not for the purpose of evading the obligations of the landlord and is set out in a separate writing signed by the parties and supported by adequate consideration; and
  • The agreement does not diminish or affect the obligation of the landlord to other tenants in the premises.

Note: The landlord may not treat performance of a separate agreement described for dwelling units other than a single family residence as a condition to an obligation or performance of a rental agreement.

Article 03. Section 34.03.100.

Return to Alaska Landlord-Tenant Laws.