Tenant behind on rent? Damage beyond wear and tear? Holding over after the lease ended? Describe the situation in your own words and get a plain-English breakdown, severity rating, step-by-step next steps, and ready-to-send notices — specific to Arkansas law.
Get My Arkansas Action Plan — Free to StartUnder Ark. Code § 18-16-305, deposits must be returned with an itemized statement within 60 days of move-out; failure can yield double the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney's fees — but this subchapter only covers landlords who rent six or more units or use a paid manager, so small self-managed landlords face no statutory deadline. Arkansas has no statutory entry-notice requirement, though leases commonly set 24 hours. Ark. Code § 18-17-701(b) gives a 5-day statutory window after the due date before a landlord can demand vacate-or-pay, functioning as the state's grace period, with no late-fee statute. Self-help eviction (changing locks, shutting off utilities) is illegal — but Arkansas is the only state with a criminal failure-to-vacate statute (§ 18-16-101): a tenant who willfully refuses to leave after a 10-day written notice can be charged with a misdemeanor. That criminal path still runs through the courts, so eviction requires court process.
60 days after move-out, with an itemized statement for any deductions.
No state law sets a minimum notice period — check your lease, which may require one.
No. Eviction requires a court process — lockouts, belongings removal, and utility shutoffs without a court order are illegal.
Legal Aid of Arkansas at 1-800-952-9243. You can also call or text 211 for local referrals.