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Breaking a lease in Alaska
Checked against the Alaska statutes on October 1, 2026 General information, not legal advice
Key numbers
- Month-to-month notice
- 30 days
- written, before the rental due date it names; 14 days week to week
- AS 34.03.290(b)
Ending a fixed-term lease early
AS 34.03 gives a tenant no general right to end a fixed-term lease early, including for domestic violence. If a tenant abandons the unit, you must make reasonable efforts to rent it at a fair rental value; if you do not, or you accept the abandonment as a surrender, the lease ends on the date you had notice of the abandonment.
AS 34.03.010 to 34.03.380 AS 34.03.230(c)
- If you re-rent for a term starting before the lease expires, the old lease ends when the new tenancy begins. AS 34.03.230(c)
- Abandonment means the tenant left belongings in the unit, has been absent for seven days or more without giving the extended-absence notice, and has defaulted in rent. AS 34.03.360
- A tenant may end the lease for your uncured material breach, failure to deliver possession, fire or casualty damage, unlawful ouster or cutoff of services, or abuse of access. AS 34.03.160 AS 34.03.170 AS 34.03.200 AS 34.03.210 AS 34.03.300(b)
- Under federal law, a servicemember may end a lease after entering military service or receiving orders for a permanent change of station or a deployment of 90 days or more; with monthly rent, termination takes effect 30 days after the next rent due date following delivery of the notice. 50 U.S.C. 3955
- A domestic violence protective order may remove and exclude the respondent from the petitioner's residence, regardless of who owns it. AS 18.66.100(c)(3)
The Alaska lease states the duty to re-rent after abandonment, the federal servicemember termination right, and that the Act grants no early termination right for domestic violence.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
Either you or the tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice given at least 30 days before the rental due date named in the notice. While rent is current, either may end a week-to-week tenancy with written notice given at least 14 days before the termination date.
AS 34.03.290(a) AS 34.03.290(b)
- A tenancy with no definite term is week to week when the tenant pays weekly rent, and month to month in all other cases. AS 34.03.020(d)
- If the tenant stays after the tenancy ends, serve a notice to quit before suing for possession; a wilful holdover not in good faith can cost the tenant up to one and one-half times your actual damages. AS 34.03.290(c) AS 09.45.090(a)(2)(F)
- When you recover possession for one of the good-faith reasons the Act lists, such as your own use, major remodeling or a sale, the tenant has the longer of 30 days or the lease's notice period after a notice to quit. AS 09.45.090(a)(2)(D) AS 34.03.310(c)
The Alaska lease states the 30-day month-to-month notice given before a rental due date and the 14-day week-to-week notice.
Questions
How do I end a month-to-month tenancy?
Give written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date named in the notice. A week-to-week tenancy needs 14 days' written notice while rent is current.
Does a tenant have a right to break the lease for domestic violence in Alaska?
AS 34.03 grants no such right. A court protective order can remove and exclude the abuser from the residence, and federal law gives servicemembers a termination right.