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Alaska Forcible Entry and Detainer Law

Landlord Tenant – Forcible Entry and Detainer Law – Alaska

Title 9 Code of Civil Procedure
Forcible Entry and Detainer


Prohibition of use of force for entry on realty.

A person may not enter upon any land, tenement, or other real property except in cases where entry is given by law. In those cases the entry may not be made with force but only in a peaceable manner. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.060

Action for forcible entry or detention.

(a) When a forcible entry is made upon a premises, or when an entry is made in a peaceable manner and the possession is held by force, the person entitled to the premises may maintain an action to recover the possession.
(b) [Repealed, Sec. 1 ch 73 SLA 1966]. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.070

Undertaking on appeal. [Repealed, Sec. 4 ch 10 SLA 1974]. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.080.

Repealed or Renumbered

Unlawful holding by force.

(a) For property to which the provisions of AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) apply, unlawful holding by force includes each of the following:

(1)when, for failure or refusal to pay rent due on the lease or agreement under which the tenant or person holds, and after service, under AS 09.45.100 (b), of the written notice required by AS 34.03.220(b) by the landlord for recovery of possession of the premises if the rent is not paid, the tenant or person in possession fails or refuses to vacate or pay the rent within seven days;
(2) when,

(A) after a violation of a condition or covenant set out in AS 34.03.120(a), other than a breach of AS 34.03.120 (a)(5) due to the deliberate infliction of substantial damage to the premises, or after a breach or violation of a condition or covenant in a lease or rental agreement and following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to remedy the breach or to deliver up the possession of the premises within the number of days provided for termination under AS 34.03.220 (a)(2);
(B) after a violation of AS 34.03.120 (a)(5) by deliberate infliction of substantial damage to the premises, following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises by the date set out in the written notice to quit under AS 34.03.220 (a)(1);
(C) after a violation of AS 34.03.220 (e) following discontinuance of a public utility service, following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises by the date set out in the written notice to quit under AS 34.03.220(e);
(D) the landlord requires the tenant to vacate the premises for a reason set out in AS 34.03.310 (c)(2) or (c)(4) – (7), following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises within the longer of 30 days or the period of notice for the landlord’s recovery of possession of the premises set out in the rental agreement;
(E) in a mobile home park, there is to be a change in the use of land for which termination of tenancy is authorized by AS 34.03.225(a)(4), following service of written notice to quit, the mobile home dweller or tenant fails or refuses to vacate within the number of days provided for termination under AS 34.03.225 (a)(4);
(F) after termination of a periodic tenancy as prescribed by AS 34.03.290(a) or (b), following service of written notice to quit, the tenant remains in possession without the landlord’s consent after expiration of the term of the rental agreement or after the date of its expiration;
(G) after the tenant has violated AS 34.03.120 (b) or the tenant has used the dwelling unit or allowed the dwelling unit to be used for an illegal purpose in violation of AS 34.03.310 (c)(3) other than a breach of AS 34.03.120 (b), following service of written notice to quit, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises within five days; or
(H) following service of written notice to quit, a person in possession continues in possession of the premises without a valid rental agreement, as that term is defined in AS 34.03.360 , and without the consent of the landlord; or

(3) when, without a notice to quit, a tenant or person in possession continues in possession of the premises after the tenancy has been terminated by issuance of an order of abatement under AS 09.50.210

(a).
(b) For property to which the provisions of AS 34.03 (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act) do not apply, unlawful holding by force includes each of the following:

(1) when, for failure or refusal to pay rent due on the lease or agreement under which the tenant or person in possession holds, after service, under AS 09.45.100 (c), of demand made in writing by the landlord for the possession of the premises if the rent is not paid, the tenant or person in possession fails or refuses to vacate or pay the rent due within seven days;
(2) when, following service of a written notice to quit,

(A) after the tenant or person in possession has breached or violated a condition or covenant of the lease or rental agreement other than breach of a covenant or condition set out in (B) of this paragraph, the tenant or person in possession of a premises fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises within 10 days;
(B) after the tenant or person in possession has deliberately inflicted substantial damage to the premises, the tenant or person in possession of a premises fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises on the date required by the landlord; the date specified may not be less than 24 hours after demand for possession of the premises by the landlord;
(C) after the tenant or person in possession has violated AS 34.05.100(a) or has used the premises for or allowed the premises to be used for an illegal purpose, the tenant or person in possession fails or refuses to deliver up the possession of the premises within five days;
(D) for premises the lease or occupation of which is primarily for the purpose of farming or agriculture, after the tenant or person in possession has violated AS 34.05.025 , other than a violation that is a breach under (B) or (C) of this paragraph, the tenant fails or refuses to deliver up possession of the premises within 30 days;
(E) a tenancy based upon an estate at will terminates, and the tenant or person in possession continues in possession of the premises; or
(F) a person in possession continues in possession of the premises

(i) at the expiration of the time limited in the lease or agreement under which that person holds; or
(ii) without a written lease or agreement and without the consent of the landlord; or

(3) when, without a notice to quit, a tenant or person in possession continues in the possession of the premises after the tenancy has been terminated by issuance of an order of abatement under AS 09.50.210 (a).

(c) When a landlord who is required to provide written notice to a tenant or person in possession under (a) or (b) of this section, provides notice by mail, notwithstanding any other provision of law, three days must be added to the period set out in (a) or (b) of this section to determine the date on and after which the tenant or person in possession unlawfully holds by force.  Title 9, Sec. 09.45.090

Notice to quit.

(a) Except where service of written notice is made under AS 9.45.090(a)(1) or (b)(1), or except when notice to quit is not required by AS 09.45.090 (a)(3) or (b)(3), a person entitled to the premises who seeks to recover possession of the premises may not commence and maintain an action to recover possession of premises under AS 09.45.060 – 09.45.160 unless the person first gives a notice to quit to the person in possession.
(b) To recover possession of premises after a tenant or person in possession has failed or refused to pay rent due, service of the written notice required by AS 34.03.220 (b) or of a demand in writing for possession of the premises

(1) constitutes notice to quit, and service of a separate notice to quit is not required; and
(2) satisfies the requirements of (c) of this section and AS 34.03.310(c).

(c) A notice to quit shall be in writing and shall be served upon the tenant or person in possession by being

(1) delivered to the tenant or person;
(2) left at the premises in case of absence from the premises; or
(3) sent by registered or certified mail.  Title 9, Sec. 9.45.100

Content of notice to quit.

Notice to quit served upon the tenant or person in possession must

(1) state

(A) the nature of the breach or violation of the lease or rental agreement or other reason for termination of the tenancy of the tenant or person in possession;
(B) in circumstances in which the breach or violation described in (A) of this paragraph may be corrected by the tenant or person in possession to avoid the termination of the tenancy, the nature of the remedial action to be taken, and the date and time by which the corrective actions must be completed in order to avoid termination of the tenancy;
(C) the date and time when the tenancy of the tenant or person in possession under the lease or rental agreement will terminate;

(2) direct the tenant or person in possession to quit the premises not later than the date and time of the termination of the tenancy; and
(3) give notice to the tenant or person in possession that, if the tenancy terminates and the tenant or person in possession continues to occupy the premises, the landlord may commence a civil action to remove the tenant or person and recover possession.  Title 9, Sec. 09.45.105

Time when action to recover possession may be brought.

An action for the recovery of the possession of the premises may be commenced on or after the date the tenant or person in possession unlawfully holds possession of the dwelling unit or rental premises by force, as determined under AS 09.45.090. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.110

Summons and continuance.

Summons in actions for forcible entry and detainer shall be served not less than two days before the date of trial. A continuance may not be granted for a longer period than two days unless the defendant applying for the continuance gives an undertaking to the adverse party, with sureties approved by the court conditioned to the payment of the rent that may accrue if judgment is rendered against the defendant. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.120

Action against persons paying rent in advance.

The service of a notice to quit upon a tenant or person in possession does not authorize an action to be maintained against the tenant or person for the possession of the premises until the expiration of the period for which that tenant or person may have paid rent for the premises in advance. To authorize an action against a tenant or person in possession who has paid rent in advance, a notice must be given at least 10 days before the date the rent is due again in case of a month-to-month tenancy or at least three days before in the case of a week-to-week tenancy. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.130

Action against tenant occupying premises abated as nuisance.

In an action under AS 09.45.060 – 09.45.160 against a tenant or person in possession of premises for which an order of abatement has been entered under AS 09.50.210 (a), a certified copy of the order of abatement is prima facie evidence of unlawful holding of the premises by force by a person who remains on the premises. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.135

Agricultural tenant.

When the leasing or occupation is for the purpose of farming or agriculture, the tenant or person in possession shall, after the termination of the lease or occupancy, have free access to the premises to cultivate and harvest or gather any crop or produce of the soil planted or sown by the tenant or person before the service of the notice to quit.  Title 9, Sec. 09.45.140

Inquiry into merits of title.

In an action to recover the possession on the land, tenement, or other real property where the entry is forcible or when the possession is unlawfully held by force, there shall be no inquiry into the merits of the title. Three years’ quiet possession of the premises immediately preceding the commencement of the action by the party in possession or those under whom the party holds may be pleaded in bar thereof unless the estate of the party in the premises is ended. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.150

Action by nonprofit housing corporation.

A nonprofit housing corporation may designate an officer or employee of the corporation who is not an attorney to commence and maintain an action under AS 09.45.060 – 09.45.160 on behalf of the corporation against a tenant or person in possession. When, under this section, a nonprofit corporation appears by an officer or employee of the corporation who is not an attorney, the written proceedings shall be in the name of the person representing the corporation and that person is the sole representative of the corporation as between the corporation and the adverse party. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.158

Actions for possession of realty.

In an action to recover the possession of real property as provided in AS 09.45.630 , notice to quit, when necessary, may be given as prescribed in AS 09.45.060 – 09.45.160, and nothing in AS 09.45.060 – 09.45.160 shall be construed so as to prevent such an action being maintained for the recovery of the possession. Title 9, Sec. 09.45.160


Inside Alaska Forcible Entry and Detainer Law