Dealing with the tenant (or landlord) from hell

Unless you own your own home, you rent that roof over your head. Back in 2013, news accounts reported that Anchorage had a tight rental market—which can produce inherent tensions. Today, reports are that the market is softening somewhat. In either circumstance, who benefits the most? Where are the conflicts in this fundamental transaction?

On the next edition of Justice Alaska on Hometown Alaska, we’ll focus both on issues that tenants face, and issues that landlords encounter. Alaska has statutes that set out expectations for both parties. But what’s written in black and white, and what happens, can be two different things. We’ll explore the problems and suggested remedies. So, if you have had a conflict with a landlord or a tenant, tell us what happened. If you resolved it, how?

We’ll feature expert legal guests who can cover the conflicts experienced by both tenants and by landlords. Your experiences are an important part of this story, so please consider sharing your rental challenges and triumphs with us on the air.

LISTEN HERE

HOSTS: Senior Judge Elaine Andrews and Kathleen McCoy

GUESTS:

• Goriune Dudukgian, attorney, Alaska Legal Service Corporation
• Sarah Badten, attorney, Birch, Horton, Bittner & Cherot

LINKS

• Alaska Uniform Residential Landlord & Tenant Act, Alaska Department of Law
• The Alaska Landlord & Tenant Act, what it means to you (PDF)
• Alaska Landlord Tenant Act, Alaska Court system (PDF)
• Top 10 tips for renters, Lifehacker.com
• Top 10 tips for landlords, nolo.com
• Resolving landlord-tenant disputes FAQ, nolo.com
• Renter’s Kit, U.S. Dept of Housing and Urban Development
• Fair Housing Project, Alaska Legal Services Corporation
• Anchorage landlord-tenant laws may get first update in decades (ADN, April 2016)
• Eviction forms, Alaska Court System
• Eviction information and forms (PDF), Alaska Court System
• Small Claims Court, Alaska Court System