Alaska Housing Resources & Tenant Rights

Alaska’s landlord-tenant rules come from the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Alaska Statutes 34.03). Alaska is unusual in two ways: the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) runs both statewide Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing directly, and 14 regional Alaska Native housing authorities deliver most rural and village housing. Deposits are capped at two months’ rent, nonpayment starts with a 7-day notice, and while there is no statewide source-of-income law, Anchorage protects voucher holders under its municipal code. This page covers who to apply to, the tenant-law framework, heating help, and where to get help.

Major Alaska public housing authorities

Unlike almost every other state, Alaska’s state corporation runs the vouchers itself. The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) administers Housing Choice Vouchers in a dozen communities, serving 4,000-plus families, and also operates public housing that shelters roughly 10,000 Alaskans a night. Alongside AHFC, regional Alaska Native housing authorities are the backbone of village housing:

• Alaska Housing Finance Corporation — Anchorage and statewide, 907-338-6100 or 800-478-2432; the Anchorage voucher waitlist last opened in spring 2025, so check the AHFC waitlist-status page
• Cook Inlet Housing Authority — Anchorage, 907-793-3000; the regional Alaska Native authority for the Cook Inlet region, with income-restricted properties that accept AHFC vouchers
• Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority — Juneau, (907) 780-6868; serves Southeast Alaska
• 14 regional Native housing authorities (coordinated through the Association of Alaska Housing Authorities) — including Bering Straits (Nome) and others — deliver most rural and off-road village housing

Use HUD’s PHA directory and read how to find your PHA; if you are Alaska Native or live in a village, contact your regional housing authority directly.

AHFC & statewide programs

The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (ahfc.us, 907-338-6100) is landlord, voucher agency, and lender in one. It runs Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing, funds weatherization and a Home Energy Rebate, supports senior and supportive housing, and makes affordable mortgages. Because AHFC is the statewide administrator, many renters apply to it directly rather than to a city authority.

Heating & emergency help in Alaska

Heat is a survival issue in Alaska, so energy help is central:

• Heating Assistance Program (HAP / LIHEAP) — run by the Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance (1-800-470-3058); the non-crisis deadline is April 30
• Alaska Affordable Heating Program (AKAHP) — a state-funded program for households just above the LIHEAP income limits
• Dial 211 (1-800-478-2221) for rent and utility funds through your regional nonprofit; see emergency rental assistance

Alaska tenant law: key protections at a glance

Security deposits

Alaska caps the deposit at two months’ rent, unless the monthly rent is more than $2,000, in which case there is no cap (AS 34.03.070). After you move out, the landlord must return it within 14 days if you gave proper notice, or within 30 days if deductions are taken, with an itemized statement; a landlord who willfully keeps too much can owe up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld. Read how to recover your security deposit.

Eviction process & how long it takes

A landlord must give written notice — 7 days for nonpayment, 10 days to cure many lease violations — then file a forcible entry and detainer (FED) case in court; only a judge can order you removed. Because Alaska has no ultra-expedited track, the process usually takes a few weeks from notice to lockout. Self-help eviction is illegal (AS 34.03.210). Get help early from Alaska Legal Services (1-888-478-2572), whose Landlord-Tenant Helpline runs weekday evenings, and read how to avoid eviction.

Source of income & the Permanent Fund Dividend

Alaska has no statewide source-of-income protection, but Anchorage’s municipal equal-rights code prohibits source-of-income discrimination, enforced by the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission — so in Anchorage a landlord generally cannot refuse you just for using a voucher. One Alaska-specific wrinkle: the Permanent Fund Dividend counts as income for many need-based programs in the month you receive it (SNAP has a “hold harmless” replacement), and housing authorities vary in how they treat it for Section 8 rent — ask your PHA. See our source-of-income protections guide.

Native, veteran & rural housing

• Regional Alaska Native housing authorities — 14 authorities and tribally designated housing entities serve villages spread across roadless regions; overcrowding runs several times the national average, and many villages have no city PHA
• HUD-VASH (veterans) — a voucher paired with VA case management; see how to apply for HUD-VASH
• Coordinated Entry — reach rapid re-housing and supportive housing through 211; our eviction prevention hub covers what to do before a court date

Nearby & western states

If you are moving to or from the Lower 48, these states’ rules differ from Alaska’s:

• Washington tenant rights — source-of-income protection statewide
• Oregon tenant rights — statewide rent stabilization
• Idaho tenant rights & Section 8 — a statewide voucher agency and fast evictions
• Montana tenant rights — the state runs Section 8 directly
• Hawaii tenant rights

Where to get help in Alaska

Tenant help & legal aid: Alaska Legal Services Corporation (1-888-478-2572) helps income-eligible tenants statewide and runs a Landlord-Tenant Helpline and a Fair Housing Project (1-855-679-3247).

Discrimination complaints: the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights (907-274-4692 or 800-478-4692) enforces state law; in Anchorage, the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission also takes complaints, including source-of-income cases.

Vouchers & housing: start with AHFC (907-338-6100) or your regional Native housing authority.

211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 for rent, heating, and shelter help statewide.

Next Steps

Not sure where to start? Our Where to Start tool maps Alaska programs to your situation in about two minutes.

If you get a 7-day notice, call Alaska Legal Services (1-888-478-2572) right away and read eviction prevention for your next moves.