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Arkansas

Arkansas Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Arkansas.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in Arkansas

Sources last checked July 2026

Arkansas caps security deposits at two months' rent, but only for landlords owning six or more units or using third-party management — one with five or fewer units who self-manages is exempt and may charge any amount, under Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-16-303–304. For nonpayment, Arkansas offers two paths: rent unpaid five days past due itself serves as notice under the 2007 Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, letting a landlord go straight to court, while the older unlawful detainer statute requires a written 3-day notice instead. Arkansas bars rent control at both the county and municipal level.

  • Arkansas provides two independent statutory pathways for evicting a tenant over nonpayment of rent, plus a separate cure process for other lease violations — a landlord may...
  • 30-day move-out notice required for month-to-month tenancies
  • No rent control — no statutory cap on rent increases
  • Arkansas does not have a specific statute mandating a minimum advance notice period for rent increases.
  • Arkansas limits security deposits to no more than two months rent (Ark.
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Security Deposit Limits

Security Deposit Limits

What is the security deposit limit in Arkansas?

Arkansas limits security deposits to no more than two months rent (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-16-304), but the cap applies only to landlords who own six or more dwelling units, or to any landlord who employs a third party to manage the property for a fee regardless of unit count (§ 18-16-303). Landlords owning five or fewer units who self-manage are exempt and may collect any amount agreed in the lease. Covered landlords must return the deposit, with an itemized written statement of any deductions, within 60 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession (§ 18-16-305). If the landlord fails to comply, § 18-16-306 entitles the tenant to recover the money due, damages equal to two times the amount wrongfully withheld, costs, and reasonable attorney fees — unless the landlord proves the noncompliance was an error made despite reasonable safeguards, or a good-faith dispute over the amount, in which case liability is limited to the sum withheld plus costs.

Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-16-303, 18-16-304, 18-16-305, 18-16-306

Eviction Notice Requirements

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in Arkansas?

Arkansas provides two independent statutory pathways for evicting a tenant over nonpayment of rent, plus a separate cure process for other lease violations — a landlord may proceed under either nonpayment track; they are not sequential steps of one process. (1) Under the Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007, Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(b), if rent remains unpaid 5 days after the due date the landlord may terminate the rental agreement; § 18-17-901(b) makes that same 5-day nonpayment itself the tenant's legal notice, allowing the landlord to commence eviction proceedings directly in district court with no separate notice document. (2) Independently, under Arkansas's traditional unlawful detainer statute, Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304(3), a landlord pursuing an unlawful detainer action for nonpayment must first serve a written 3-day notice to quit and demand for possession. For other, non-monetary lease violations, § 18-17-701(a) requires a written 14-day notice to cure or vacate specifying the breach. Terminating a month-to-month tenancy without cause requires at least 30 days written notice. Self-help evictions are prohibited; a landlord must obtain a court-issued writ of possession.

Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-17-701, 18-17-901, 18-60-304

Rent Increase Notice Periods

Rent Increase Notice Periods

How much notice is required for rent increases in Arkansas?

Arkansas does not have a specific statute mandating a minimum advance notice period for rent increases. For fixed-term leases, rent cannot be raised during the lease term unless the lease expressly permits it. For month-to-month tenancies, Arkansas courts and legal practitioners interpret the general termination notice provision of Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 — which requires 30 days written notice to change terms of a periodic tenancy — as establishing a 30-day minimum before a rent increase may take effect. Landlords may not raise rent in retaliation against a tenant who exercises a legal right, such as reporting a habitability issue. There is no statewide rent control, and no local government may impose one.

Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in Arkansas?

Arkansas has no statewide rent control and expressly preempts local governments from enacting any. Ark. Code Ann. § 14-16-601 prohibits counties from adopting rent control ordinances, and Ark. Code Ann. § 14-54-1409 prohibits cities and municipalities from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance or resolution that would control the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential or commercial property. There is no limit on how much a landlord may raise rent in Arkansas, provided the increase is not retaliatory or discriminatory and proper notice is given. Both Little Rock and Fayetteville are therefore barred from imposing rent caps.

Ark. Code Ann. §§ 14-16-601, 14-54-1409

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice

What is the move-out notice requirement in Arkansas?

Under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704, either a landlord or a tenant may terminate a month-to-month tenancy by providing the other party with written notice at least 30 days before the termination date specified in the notice. For fixed-term leases, neither party is required to give advance move-out notice unless the lease expressly requires it; the tenancy ends on the lease's expiration date. Tenants who vacate without providing the required 30-day notice on a month-to-month tenancy may be held liable for up to 30 days of additional rent. Personal property left on the premises after the tenancy ends may be treated as abandoned under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-16-108.

Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-17-704, 18-16-108

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