Sources checked:
Quick answer. Arkansas: deposit capped at 2 months of rent; deposit returned within 60 days; one-month notice to end month-to-month; 3-day notice for unpaid rent; $5,000 small claims limit. 11 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 12 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- 2 months' rent
- Deposit back within
- 60 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- 1 month
- Unpaid rent notice
- 3 days
- Time to answer or appear
- 5 days
- Small claims limit
- $5,000
Security deposit (3 of 6 confirmed)
-
ConfirmedDeposit limit
No more than two months' rent.
Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
The deposit is returned, with a written itemized list of charges withheld, within 60 days of the time the tenant vacates.
Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights, checked November 2026
-
ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
A written, itemized list of the charges withheld.
Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights, checked November 2026
-
Not confirmedInterest on the deposit
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed from official text. Check the Arkansas Code.
-
Not confirmedWhere the deposit is held
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed from official text. Check the Arkansas Code.
-
Not confirmedPenalty the law states
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed from official text. Check the Arkansas Code.
Who the deposit rules cover: The Attorney General says this law applies only to landlords who rent six or more dwellings.
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (4 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | Oral lease: one rental period's notice, for any reason. A written lease follows its own terms. | Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and tenant rights, checked November 2026 |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | Oral lease: one rental period's notice. Written lease: as the lease says. | Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and tenant rights, checked November 2026 |
| Rent increase notice | At least one rental period's notice before raising rent, for oral and written leases. | Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and tenant rights, checked November 2026 |
| Unpaid rent notice | Three days' written notice to vacate before an unlawful detainer case. | Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and tenant rights, checked November 2026 |
| Entry notice | Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and tenant rights. Not on the Attorney General's page. Check the lease and the Arkansas Code. | |
| Late fee limits | Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and tenant rights. Not on the Attorney General's page. Check the lease and the Arkansas Code. |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (3 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: Three days' written notice to vacate before an unlawful detainer case.
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
-
ConfirmedCourt
The complaint is filed with the circuit clerk in the county where the property is.
with the clerk of the circuit court
Source: Arkansas Judiciary: Circuit Court Judges' Benchbook, Civil and Criminal (2022), Forcible Entry and Detainer, checked November 2026
-
Not confirmedFiling fee
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
-
- The tenant's answer or appearance
-
ConfirmedTime to answer or appear
Five days after the summons to object in writing; an objection leads to a hearing.
After you receive a summons to appear in court, you have five days to object in writing to the eviction.
Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights, checked November 2026
-
- Hearing or trial
-
Not confirmedHearing after filing
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
-
- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
-
Not confirmedJudgment to writ
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
-
- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
-
Not confirmedWrit to lockout
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
-
ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
The county sheriff removes a tenant who loses.
you can be removed from the dwelling by the county sheriff.
Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights, checked November 2026
-
- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
-
Not confirmedPaying to stop the case
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
-
Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
-
Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
-
Example: a case filed Monday, March 1, 2027
The earliest date of each stage the confirmed rules allow, from our eviction timeline estimator. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
| Stage | Earliest date |
|---|---|
| Case filed | Monday, March 1, 2027 |
| Answer due (if served the day of filing) | Saturday, March 6, 2027 |
Help the official pages name: Arkansas Legal Services landlord and tenant information, linked by the Attorney General.
More: Eviction process timeline by state · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
-
ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$5,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
The Attorney General's guide describes disputes of less than $5,000. Not for divorce, guardianship, name change, bankruptcy, or title to or possession of real estate.
Filing fee to start a case: $30 to $65.
Source: Arkansas Attorney General: Guide to Small Claims Court, checked November 2026
More: Arkansas small claims court
Still to confirm
- Interest on the deposit: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Where the deposit is held: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Penalty the law states: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Entry notice: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and tenant rights
- Late fee limits: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and tenant rights
- Filing fee: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Hearing after filing: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Judgment to writ: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Writ to lockout: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Paying to stop the case: check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Right to counsel (statewide): check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights
Arkansas kit
Arkansas Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the Arkansas return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Arkansas?
No more than two months' rent.
How long does a Arkansas landlord have to return a deposit?
The deposit is returned, with a written itemized list of charges withheld, within 60 days of the time the tenant vacates. What goes with it: A written, itemized list of the charges withheld.
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Arkansas?
From the landlord: Oral lease: one rental period's notice, for any reason. A written lease follows its own terms. From the tenant: Oral lease: one rental period's notice. Written lease: as the lease says.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Arkansas?
Three days' written notice to vacate before an unlawful detainer case.
How long does an eviction case take in Arkansas?
Time to answer or appear: 5 days. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
Can a Arkansas deposit dispute go to small claims court?
The small claims limit in our data: $5,000: the most a small claims case can ask for. The court's own page explains what kinds of cases it hears.
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Arkansas?
Not confirmed in our data files. Check Arkansas Attorney General: Landlord and tenant rights (https://arkansasag.gov/divisions/public-protection/homes/landlord-and-tenant-rights/).
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords