Arkansas renter rights: the basics for first-time renters
Arkansas has historically given renters fewer protections than most states. A 2021 law (Act 1052) added basic habitability standards for leases signed or renewed after Nov. 1, 2021. Here is what a first-time renter should know.
Quick facts
| Security deposit max | 2 months' rent — but only for landlords who rent out 6 or more units |
|---|---|
| Deposit returned within | 60 days, with an itemized list of deductions (landlords with 6+ units) |
| Late fee cap | No statewide cap — check your lease |
| Statewide rent control | No |
| Rent increase notice | At least one rental period |
| Month-to-month (oral lease): notice to end | One rental period (either side); written leases follow the lease |
| Landlord entry | No statewide rule — check your lease |
| Notice before eviction suit | 3 days' written notice to vacate |
| Repairs | Minimum standards since 2021; tenant can end lease after 30 days' written notice — no rent withholding |
Quick facts are simplified. Read the sections below for exceptions, and check your city or county too.
Security deposits
- Who it covers: Arkansas's deposit law applies only to landlords who rent out six or more dwellings. Smaller landlords aren't bound by these limits, so get deposit terms in writing.
- Cap: no more than two months' rent.
- Return: within 60 days after you move out, minus the cost of damage beyond normal use and any past-due rent, with a written itemized list of anything withheld.
Rent increases and late fees
There's no rent control. A landlord must give notice of at least one rental period before raising rent (for example, a month for monthly rent), for oral and written leases. State law doesn't cap late fees.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
With an oral month-to-month arrangement, either you or the landlord must give one rental period's notice. With a written lease, follow the lease. A landlord can end a lease for any reason with proper notice. Anything left behind after a lease ends can be treated as abandoned, so take everything with you.
When the landlord can come in
Arkansas has no statute setting a notice period before a landlord enters. Your lease controls, so ask for an entry clause that requires advance notice except in emergencies.
Repairs and living conditions
For leases entered or renewed after Nov. 1, 2021, Act 1052 requires landlords to provide basics such as running and drinkable water, electricity, working plumbing and sewage, a sound roof and building envelope, and working heating, ventilation, and air conditioning where installed. If your rent is current and you give written notice, and the landlord doesn't fix the problem within 30 days, you may end the lease and get your deposit back. The law does not allow rent withholding — keep paying rent. You can also contact your city's code enforcement office.
Write it all down from day one. The 12-page First Apartment Move-In Kit has a first-week timeline, lease and building facts, a utilities board, room-by-room unpacking, and a first-month money sheet — so your lease facts, notice dates, and move-in notes live in one place. $9.99 on Etsy. Undated.
Get the kit — $9.99 on EtsyEviction basics
- Notice: for an unlawful detainer case, the landlord must give you three days' written notice to vacate.
- Respond in 5 days: after you're served with the court summons, you have five days to file a written objection with the court clerk. If you don't, the sheriff can remove you without a hearing.
- Late or unpaid rent for any reason is grounds for eviction.
Retaliation and discrimination
Arkansas has no general statewide anti-retaliation law for renters. The federal Fair Housing Act and Arkansas fair housing law ban discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. The Arkansas Fair Housing Commission takes complaints.
Move-in checklist for Arkansas renters
- ☐ Get a written lease and read all of it before signing
- ☐ Get a receipt for the deposit and any move-in money
- ☐ Photograph every room, dated, before you unpack
- ☐ Fill out (or write your own) move-in condition list and keep a copy
- ☐ Note the rent due date, grace period, and late fee
- ☐ Write down how to request repairs, and do it in writing
- ☐ Save the landlord's legal name and address for notices
- ☐ Put your notice deadline for moving out in your calendar
Still apartment hunting? Our list of questions to ask a landlord before signing a lease covers deposits, fees, repairs, and move-out rules you will want answered in writing.
Where to get help in Arkansas
- Arkansas Attorney General — Landlord and Tenant Rights — consumer protection information and complaints.
- Arkansas Fair Housing Commission — housing discrimination complaints.
- Find free legal aid near you — the federal Legal Services Corporation's directory of local legal aid offices.
- File a housing discrimination complaint with HUD — the federal fair housing agency.
More help
Nonprofit and legal aid resources (not government sources):
- Arkansas Legal Services Online — free legal information and help.
Official sources
These are the official state law and government pages we checked for every fact on this page. The law itself controls if anything here differs.
- Arkansas Attorney General, Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Act 1052 of 2021 (SB 594) — residential quality standards, Arkansas General Assembly (PDF)
Not legal advice; laws change and cities may add rules. Check the official sources below or a local legal aid office. This page is a plain-language summary written by First Apartment Kit, not the law itself. Last reviewed: October 2026.