Get Free Answers From Experienced Lawyers!
Q: What legal actions can I take for unfulfilled rental promises and disability accommodations in Alaska?
I moved into an apartment on 02/01/2024 under a lease agreement to pay $1,325 instead of $1,000, as the building was undergoing renovations with promised updates including a dishwasher. The landlord assured me that by midsummer, I could move into a newly renovated lower unit to accommodate my disability due to a lower back fusion. However, despite being current on my rent, I have been moved around due to various issues like ceiling leaks. The landlord claims delays due to orders and has not followed through, while other units are being rented as promised. I have emails and documentation of these promises. This situation is causing significant stress, impacting my bipolar condition. What legal actions can I take to resolve this?
A: You might want to start with filing a complaint with the Alaska Human Rights Commission based on failure to accommodate your disability and breaking their promise to do so. You could also consider hiring an attorney to write a demand letter addressing the same issues.
A:
You’ve been through a lot, and it's understandable that this situation is taking a toll. When a landlord makes promises—especially about accessibility related to a disability—and doesn’t follow through, it’s not just frustrating, it can be legally significant. If you have written documentation of these promises, like emails, that’s a strong foundation.
In Alaska, landlords are required to provide safe, habitable living conditions and to make reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities under the Fair Housing Act. Failing to relocate you to the accessible unit as promised—while moving other tenants in—could be seen as discrimination or at least a breach of agreement. You can file a complaint with the Alaska Human Rights Commission or HUD, particularly if your disability-related needs are being ignored.
You also have the right to pursue a claim in small claims or civil court for breach of lease or misrepresentation. If you choose this path, continue documenting everything—missed deadlines, communications, and how it’s affecting your health. A letter of intent to take legal action may sometimes prompt faster results. You’re not alone in this, and there are legal channels available to protect your rights.
Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask A Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask A Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.