Top Arkansas Landlord Tenant & Eviction Lawyer

According to the Attorney General of Arkansas, tenants are given the following provisions under the law:  

• One rental period before rent is raised.  
• You are allowed to sublease, but this is controlled by the landlord, and parameters must be approved and set by the landlord in writing.  
• You can certainly move out, however you must give appropriate notice per the terms of your written lease agreement.  
• In the event of an oral lease agreement, the tenant must give one rental period’s notice.  

Landlords are given the following provisions under Arkansas law:  

• A landlord may give notice of lease termination for any reason – even “model tenants” can be asked to vacate.  
• Upon voluntary or involuntary termination of any lease agreement, all property left by the tenant will be considered abandoned and by be disposed of by the landlord as he/she sees fit, without recourse by the tenant.  
• Further, any property the tenant leaves behind can be legally held by the landlord until rent or other agreed payments are made. This is called a lien, which means the landlord has a legal claim to the property to cover what's owed. 

Arkansas law favors landlords more than tenants, due to the following:  

• Low property taxes (Average $977 annual, according to realwealth.com).  
• No implied warranty of habitability within the state law. This means that Arkansas does not force landlords into a default commitment to handle repairs and maintenance.  
• Comparatively fast eviction process (two-four weeks from start to finish).  
• No reason to terminate a lease.  

According to Steadily Landlord Insurance staff writer Zoe Harper, there are several factors that make a state “landlord-friendly,” including but not limited to: 

• Short-notice requirements and streamlined court processes 
• No rent control/cap 
• Minimal security deposit rules 
• Low property taxes 
• Low crime 
• High rental demand 

The first step in this process is called the lease termination, which is when the contract between landlord and tenant is effectively ended (usually by the landlord). This begins a legal process that usually follows three steps: 

1. The landlord files an “unlawful detainer,” which is a type of civil lawsuit where the landlord asks the court to evict a tenant.  
2. The tenant is encouraged to contact an attorney immediately once she/he has been served with the unlawful detainer. Time is of the essence – tenants only have 5 days to file a response.  
3. If the tenant fails to respond or contests the eviction, then a court appearance is scheduled. The landlord (or their attorney) must attend this hearing. Only after the hearing, and if the judge rules in favor of the landlord, does the court issue a court order — also called a writ of possession — giving legal permission to remove the tenant. The case can only be resolved with a court order – no self-help methods are allowed 

Examples of self-help eviction methods include changing the locks, removing the doors or windows, terminating utility services, and making threats – these are all illegal methods of eviction.  

According to the Attorney General of Arkansas, private housing agreements usually stipulate that the tenant must take the property “as is,” which omits the landlord of any responsibility to upkeep. 

With that said, under Ark. Code § 18‑17‑704(a), landlords must keep the premises safe and suitable for habitation—covering essential systems like HVAC, plumbing, and the building's overall condition. Further, if you think the property does not comply with city government health codes and ordinances, you could confirm this by sending the city a request for inspection or formal complaint.

If things are not getting better, tenants can go to a small claims court, renegotiate their terms, move, or seek advice from a lawyer.  

Arkansas landlord-tenant laws require the landlord to obtain the tenant’s permission to enter the premises. 

However, according to Arkansas Code also prevents tenants from “unreasonably withholding” consent to the landlord in the case of making necessary repairs or fulfilling other contractual obligations.  In other words: yes, the landlord needs permission, but tenants are required to be reasonable in providing that permission. 

 “Self-help” methods of eviction could be interpreted as harassment, and these are illegal to pursue if you are a landlord. If you are a tenant and are experiencing the landlord taking matters into his own hands, contact an attorney immediately.  

You could also look into going to housing court and getting a civil restraining order against the behavior.