# ESA Letter in Ketchikan, AK: The Deposit Clock at Move-Out

> An ESA letter in Ketchikan keeps a pet deposit off your lease. How AS 34.03.070(g) and your notice set the 14 or 30 days a landlord has to return a deposit.

- Source: https://supportanimal.com/blog/alaska-emotional-support-animal/ketchikan/
- Publisher: Support Animal (supportanimal.com)
- Updated: 2026-09-19
- License note: informational content; not legal or medical advice.

**In short:** In Ketchikan, AK, no pet deposit should be taken for your ESA: AS 34.03.070(h) exempts only trained animals, but the federal Fair Housing Act forbids pricing the accommodation. At move-out, written notice that complies with AS 34.03.290 gives the landlord 14 days to return your deposit, or 30 if damage is deducted (AS 34.03.070(g)). Without complying notice, the limit is 30 days.

## Key facts

- Population: 8,033
- Households renting: 38.6%
- Typical pet deposit (as a pet): Pets: +1 month max
- Typical pet rent (as a pet): Building policy decides
- Breed/weight limits common: yes
- Pet fees, deposits and breed or weight limits with a qualifying reasonable accommodation: may be waived or modified, not automatically void (FHA reasonable accommodation)

## What does it cost to rent in Ketchikan?

Ketchikan's median gross rent is $1,417 a month, plus or minus $114, on the Census Bureau's 2020-2024
American Community Survey five-year estimates. The statewide figure is $1,419. With an interval that
wide, the fair reading is that Ketchikan rents at about the Alaska median, not above or below it.

The same estimates count 3,415 occupied homes in the city and 1,318 renter households (plus or minus
144), a renter share of 38.6 percent. Sitka's count is within one household of that, so the two are
best treated as the same size of market. The 2024 population estimate is 8,033. Ketchikan sits in
the Ketchikan Gateway Borough and is off the road system, which matters later on this page: a move
out of town is planned around a boat or a plane, and the paperwork has to keep up.

A median rent is also a median deposit. That is where this page starts.

## How much can a Ketchikan landlord hold before you move in?

**AS 34.03.070(a)** caps prepaid rent or a security deposit at "two months' periodic
rent." At the median, that is up to $2,834. Subsection (h) then lets a landlord take one more deposit,
up to one month's rent, from a tenant with "a pet on the premises that is not a service animal." For
an ordinary cat or dog at the median, that could add $1,417.

## Can a Ketchikan landlord charge a pet deposit for an ESA?

An emotional support animal is where the statute stops helping. The exemption in (h) covers only a
service animal, and **AS 34.03.070(i)(2)** defines one as "individually trained." An emotional support
animal is not, so the Alaska text by itself would let the landlord charge. What removes the charge is
the federal Fair Housing Act, **42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)**, which makes a refusal of a reasonable
accommodation to a rule unlawful. The Alaska Department of Law's own handbook, in footnote 15, puts
it plainly: the federal Act "prohibits charging a pet deposit for a service animal or a support
animal, which includes animals that provide therapeutic emotional support for individuals with
disabilities."

So the first defence against a deposit you should not pay is timing. A deposit never taken is a
deposit you never have to chase.

## How much notice must a Ketchikan tenant give to end a lease?

A Ketchikan lease can end because a fixed term runs out, or because a periodic tenancy is ended by
notice. For the second, **AS 34.03.290** sets the rule. A week-to-week tenancy needs 14 days' written
notice; a month-to-month tenancy needs 30 days' written notice before the rental due date.

This is not just courtesy. Whether your notice complies with that section changes how long the
landlord has to give your money back.

## How long does a Ketchikan landlord have to return your deposit?

With a notice that complies with AS 34.03.290, **AS 34.03.070(g)** gives the landlord "14 days after
the tenancy is terminated and possession is delivered" to mail the refund and the written accounting.
If the landlord is deducting for damage, the limit stretches to 30 days.

Without a complying notice, the limit is 30 days after the tenancy ends, possession is delivered, or
the landlord becomes aware the unit was abandoned. And where your address is unknown but the landlord
"knows or has reason to know how to contact the tenant," it must make "a reasonable effort to deliver
the notice and refund."

One boundary applies to all of this. Subsection (a) says the section "does not apply to rental units
where the rent exceeds $2,000 a month." At Ketchikan's median that is far off, but a larger unit can
cross it, and above the line these clocks do not run.

## What can a Ketchikan landlord keep from the deposit, and what can't they?

Under **AS 34.03.070(b)** a landlord may keep only accrued rent and the cost of damage caused by the
tenant's failure to meet the duties in AS 34.03.120, and must itemise it "in a written notice mailed
to the tenant's last known address." Damage does not include "normal wear and tear."

A pet deposit has its own fence. Subsection (h)(2) says it must be kept apart from the regular deposit
and "may be applied only to the amount of damages that are directly related to the pet of the tenant."
If your landlord took one from you for an emotional support animal anyway, keep the receipt: you will
want it at move-out, and it is worth raising with legal aid.

Real damage your animal does is still yours to pay, after the fact. And if a landlord "wilfully fails
to comply" with the itemising rule, **AS 34.03.070(d)** lets you recover up to "twice the actual
amount withheld."

## Where can Ketchikan renters get help without a road out of town?

Alaska Legal Services Corporation says it is "no longer located in the Plaza Mall, but we are
available in Ketchikan," at 907-764-9168. Its landlord and tenant helpline is "generally open Monday
through Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at 1-855-743-1001." SAIL, the independent living centre, has a
Ketchikan office at 4693 N Tongass Highway, and Alaska Housing Finance Corporation takes housing
assistance applications, including for Housing Choice Vouchers, at 130 Bryant St., Suite 112.

If a landlord refuses the animal itself, the State Commission for Human Rights takes a complaint
within 300 days under 6 AAC 30.230. HUD's Alaska office, at 3000 C Street in Anchorage, takes one
within a year, and a federal lawsuit can be filed within two. Neither Alaska forum files with HUD for
you.

## What happens at each step of a Ketchikan move-out, from notice to refund?

Here is the move-out on one line, with day 0 as the day you hand back the keys. It is also, for most
people, the start of the next lease.

- **30 days or more before day 0 (month-to-month).** Deliver written notice before a rental due date,
  under AS 34.03.290. Keep a copy. That notice is what earns you the 14-day deadline later.
- **The same weeks.** Line up the next home. If the animal is coming, send the new landlord a written
  accommodation request with your letter before you sign, so no pet deposit is ever collected.
- **Day 0.** The tenancy ends and you deliver possession. Photograph each room. Give a forwarding
  address in writing, because (b) sends the accounting to your last known address.
- **Day 14.** With complying notice and no damage deductions, the refund and notice should have been
  mailed by now.
- **Day 30.** The outer limit, where damage is deducted or your notice did not comply.
- **After day 30.** Call the helpline. A wilful failure to itemise can cost the landlord double.

Every date on that line depends on a document you made on time. The letter at the second step works
the same way. If a clinician already treats you, they are the natural person to ask, and they know
you. In Ketchikan the difficulty is supply: a city with no road out and a small number of behavioral health
providers, waits that can outlast a 30-day notice period, and a clinician you have only just met,
who is right to hold back a disability finding until they know you well enough to make it.

Where that route will not fit the timeline, a licensed evaluation covers the same two findings on
purpose. A licensed clinician assesses whether you have a disability (Alaska's definition in
**AS 18.80.300(15)** includes "emotional or mental illness") and whether you need this animal because of
that disability, and records the answer, including when it is no. That possible no is what makes the
yes credible to a Ketchikan landlord who knows AS 34.03.070 only exempts trained animals.

## What Ketchikan landlords can and cannot do

**Cannot:**
- Cannot refuse a reasonable accommodation to a no-pets rule where it may be necessary to give a person with a disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy the home, under 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B). Alaska's own Human Rights Act has no accommodation clause, so this federal duty does the work.
- Cannot refuse to rent because of a physical or mental disability, or discriminate because of disability in a term, condition or privilege of the tenancy, AS 18.80.240(1) and (2).
- Cannot make a written or oral inquiry into, or keep a record of, an applicant's disability, AS 18.80.240(3). Asking whether a need exists for an accommodation is different from asking for a diagnosis.
- Cannot condition an emotional support animal on a pet deposit or monthly pet rent. The federal accommodation duty forbids pricing the exception, even though AS 34.03.070(h) exempts only an individually trained service animal from the state pet deposit.
- Cannot require certification or registration of a service animal from an organisation purporting to certify service animals, 6 AAC 30.610(k), and no Alaska registry for any kind of assistance animal exists.
- Cannot keep a security deposit and prepaid rent above two months' rent, AS 34.03.070(a), unless the rent exceeds $2,000 a month, in which case the whole section, cap included, does not apply.

**Can:**
- Must mail the itemised deposit notice and refund within 14 days, or 30 days where damages are deducted or proper notice was not given, AS 34.03.070(g). A wilful failure can cost up to twice the amount withheld under AS 34.03.070(d).
- May charge an ordinary pet an additional deposit of up to one month's rent, held separately and usable only for pet damage, AS 34.03.070(h).
- May recover for damage an animal actually causes, as with any tenant damage under AS 34.03.120(a)(5). That is a bill for real damage after the fact, not a fee charged in advance.
- May decline where a specific animal would be a direct threat to others' health or safety, or would cause substantial physical damage to others' property, 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(9). The judgment has to be about this animal, not its species or breed.
- May be outside the state Act only when renting a room in a home the owner lives in and shares, 6 AAC 30.990(b). An owner-occupied duplex or fourplex is not exempt under Alaska law.

## How to get an ESA letter in Ketchikan

1. **Check that you qualify**, Answer a short screening about how your condition affects daily life in Ketchikan. No diagnosis paperwork needed up front. (About 5 minutes: free)
2. **Connect with a licensed professional**, You are matched with a provider licensed for Alaska clients who reviews your situation in a telehealth evaluation. (Telehealth evaluation)
3. **Complete your evaluation**, The professional considers whether an emotional support animal is clinically appropriate for a condition recognized in the DSM-5. The DSM-5 can inform that assessment, but the housing question is whether you have a qualifying disability and whether the animal is necessary because of it. Honest evaluations: not everyone qualifies. (Most of Our Applicants Qualify)
4. **Receive your signed letter**, Your letter arrives on the professional's letterhead with their license number: supporting documentation for a reasonable accommodation that Alaska landlords may lawfully request. (Typically within days of approval)
5. **Send it to your landlord**, Submit the letter with a short reasonable-accommodation request. Where the accommodation is required, ordinary pet-related rules and charges, including pet fees, pet deposits and breed or weight limits, may need to be waived or modified. You remain responsible for any damage the animal actually causes. (Protection under FHA + state law)

## Conditions that can qualify for an ESA

No fixed government list exists. A licensed professional assesses whether an emotional support animal is clinically appropriate for a condition recognized in the DSM-5. The DSM-5 can inform that assessment, but the housing question is whether a qualifying disability is present and whether the animal is necessary because of it. Commonly:

- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Major depressive disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Panic disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Phobias with housing impact
- Chronic stress affecting daily function

## Housing help in Ketchikan

- [City of Ketchikan](https://www.ketchikan.gov/) (city government)
- [Ketchikan Gateway Borough](https://www.kgbak.us/) (county government)
- [Alaska Housing Finance Corporation: housing assistance locations (Ketchikan, 130 Bryant St.)](https://www.ahfc.us/contact-us/housing-assistance-locations) (local housing authority)
- [SAIL (Ketchikan office)](https://www.sailinc.org/contact/) (disability services)
- [Alaska Legal Services Corporation: office list (Ketchikan)](https://www.alsc-law.org/contact-us/) (legal aid)
- [Alaska Legal Services Corporation: Landlord and Tenant Helpline](https://www.alsc-law.org/helpline/) (legal aid)

## Frequently asked questions

### How long does a Ketchikan landlord have to return my security deposit?

AS 34.03.070(g) sets two limits. If you gave notice that complies with AS 34.03.290, the refund and an itemised accounting are due within 14 days of the tenancy ending and the keys coming back, or within 30 days where the landlord deducts for damage. Without complying notice, the limit is 30 days. None of this applies to a unit renting above $2,000 a month.

### What notice do I have to give to end a month-to-month tenancy in Ketchikan?

AS 34.03.290 requires 30 days' written notice before the rental due date for a month-to-month tenancy, and 14 days' written notice for a week-to-week one. Keep a copy and note the date you delivered it. That notice is what triggers the shorter 14-day refund deadline in AS 34.03.070(g), so a verbal goodbye can cost you two weeks.

### Can a Ketchikan landlord keep part of a pet deposit taken for my emotional support animal?

The deposit should not have been taken: the Department of Law's handbook says the federal Fair Housing Act "prohibits charging a pet deposit for a service animal or a support animal". If one was collected anyway, AS 34.03.070(h)(2) still limits it to damage "directly related to the pet of the tenant" and requires it to be accounted for separately. Keep the receipt and ask Alaska Legal Services about recovering it.

### What if my Ketchikan landlord never sends an itemised list of deductions?

Under AS 34.03.070(b), every deduction has to be listed in writing and posted to the last address the landlord has for you, and normal wear and tear is never a deduction. If a landlord wilfully fails to comply, AS 34.03.070(d) lets the tenant recover up to twice the amount actually withheld. Give a forwarding address in writing on move-out day so there is no doubt where the notice should go.

### Is Ketchikan's rent above or below the Alaska median?

Neither, fairly read. The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Ketchikan's median gross rent at $1,417, plus or minus $114, against a statewide $1,419. A two-dollar gap inside an interval that wide means the city rents at about the state median. At that figure, an ordinary pet deposit under AS 34.03.070(h) could reach $1,417.

### Is there a Legal Services office in Ketchikan?

Alaska Legal Services Corporation says it is no longer in the Plaza Mall but is "available in Ketchikan", at 907-764-9168. For a deposit or notice question, its Landlord and Tenant Helpline is "generally open Monday through Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at 1-855-743-1001." The Fair Housing Project of Alaska Legal Services handles discrimination questions free, with no income limit.

### When should a Ketchikan renter moving to a new place get an ESA letter?

Before signing the next lease, and ideally within the notice period for the old one. A request sent with the letter before the new tenancy starts means no pet deposit is collected at all, which is simpler than recovering one later. The letter should come from a licensed clinician who assessed you and found both a disability and a need for this animal.

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Get evaluated by a licensed provider: https://my.supportanimal.com/qualify?sa_source=blog&sa_medium=blog&sa_campaign=esa-guides&sa_content=markdown&ref=blog&sa_term=alaska-emotional-support-animal%2Fketchikan