The 5 questions Arkansas landlords ask us every single week.
Straight answers, no legal fog. We own rentals in Arkansas ourselves and we have lived every one of these. Read the answer you came for, then call us if you would rather be done with the property altogether.
- 01How long does an eviction take in Arkansas, and what does it really cost?
- 02Can I sell a rental in Arkansas while a tenant is still living there?
- 03What are the Arkansas security deposit rules?
- 04What repairs am I legally required to make?
- 05How much notice do I need to raise rent or end a month to month lease?
Question 01
How long does an eviction take in Arkansas, and what does it really cost?
Plan on four to eight weeks and $800 to $2,500 if nobody fights you. Longer and pricier if they do.
Arkansas gives you two separate roads. The one most landlords end up on is the civil unlawful detainer case: you deliver a written three day notice to vacate, and if the tenant is still there after that, your attorney files an unlawful detainer suit in circuit court. There is also a criminal failure to vacate track that runs through district court on a ten day notice. Which road makes sense depends on your facts, and this is the part where you want an Arkansas attorney rather than a website.
Here is the timeline nobody puts in the brochure. Three days for the notice. A few days to a couple of weeks to get the tenant served. A window for them to answer. Then whenever the judge has room on the docket. In a quiet county with a tenant who never responds, four to six weeks is realistic. In Pulaski County with a tenant who files an answer, we have watched landlords sit for three or four months.
The cash side: $800 to $2,500 for attorney, filing, and service on a routine case. Add the rent that is not coming in, roughly $900 to $1,500 a month on a typical Arkansas single family rental. Add the mortgage, taxes, and insurance you keep paying anyway. Add the move out damage, because tenants who get evicted rarely leave the place clean. Landlords who tell us the eviction cost them $5,000 to $10,000 all in are not exaggerating.
Where we come in: If the math above is why you are reading this page, know that you can sell before the eviction ever gets filed. We buy with the tenant in place and deal with the situation ourselves after closing.
Question 02
Can I sell a rental in Arkansas while a tenant is still living there?
Yes. The lease travels with the house, and the buyer takes it subject to that lease.
A lease is attached to the property, not to you personally. Sell the house and the new owner steps into your side of that lease. The tenant keeps their term, their rent amount, and their rights, and the security deposit gets transferred to the buyer at closing so it stays accounted for.
That is exactly why a tenant occupied rental is hard to put on the MLS and easy to sell to us. A retail buyer with a mortgage usually wants to move in, so their agent asks you to deliver the house empty and painted. Getting there means a notice, maybe an eviction, a turn, and months of carrying costs before you ever see an offer.
In our purchases the tenant usually finds out after the fact, by way of a letter with new payment instructions. No showings parading through their living room, no 30 day notice, no drama for you to referee. If you would rather the house be vacant at closing, tell us and we will structure it that way instead.
Where we come in: Occupied, vacant, paying, or six months behind, we will make an offer on it as is.
Question 03
What are the Arkansas security deposit rules?
Generally two months rent max, and generally 60 days to refund it or send an itemized statement.
Arkansas caps the residential security deposit at two months rent under the state's security deposit statutes. After the tenant vacates you generally have 60 days to either return the deposit or mail a written itemized list of the damages you are charging against it, sent to the tenant's last known address.
There is a long standing exemption for landlords who own fewer than six rental units and do not use a management agent. A lot of Arkansas landlords lean on that exemption harder than they should, because the moment you cross the unit count, or use a manager, the exemption stops helping you. Following the statute regardless is the cheaper habit.
Practical protection is boring and it works: date stamped move in photos, a signed condition checklist, date stamped move out photos, receipts for every repair you charge, and an itemized letter mailed inside the window. Deposits become expensive when the only evidence is your memory.
Where we come in: Selling? Deposits and prepaid rent get reconciled and transferred at closing. Bring us the ledger and we will handle the rest.
Question 04
What repairs am I legally required to make?
Since the 2021 update, covered rentals must hit minimum habitability standards. Cosmetics are still lease territory.
For decades Arkansas was the only state with no implied warranty of habitability. That changed when the Residential Landlord Tenant Act was amended in 2021. Rentals covered by the update have to provide potable running water, hot water, a working sewer or septic connection, electricity, a functioning heat source, and a structure and roof that keep the weather out.
What is still not on the list: fresh paint, new flooring, a dishwasher that works, a nice yard. Those obligations come from whatever your lease promises, so a sloppy lease creates duties the statute never gave you. Local city codes can also add requirements on top of the state floor, and code enforcement in Little Rock and North Little Rock does write citations.
The problem for most landlords is not the law, it is the bill. A roof, an HVAC system, and a sewer line landing in the same year on a house that rents for $1,100 wipes out several years of cash flow.
Where we come in: We buy houses with bad roofs, dead HVAC, mold, fire damage, and open code violations. No repairs, no cleanout, no inspection objections.
Question 05
How much notice do I need to raise rent or end a month to month lease?
At least one full rental period for a rent increase. 30 days written notice to end a month to month.
The Attorney General's guidance is that a landlord must give notice of at least one rental period before raising the rent, and that this applies to oral leases just like written ones. On a month to month arrangement that means at least 30 days, delivered before the rent due date you want the new amount to start on.
Ending a month to month tenancy follows the same rhythm: 30 days written notice ahead of the next rent due date is the standard practice. A fixed term lease is a different animal. You generally cannot raise the rent or terminate mid term unless the lease itself gives you that right, or the tenant breaches.
Whatever you send, send it in writing, date it, keep a copy, and keep proof of delivery. Verbal notices are the single most common reason a landlord's case falls apart in front of an Arkansas judge.
Where we come in: If you are only raising rent because the numbers stopped working, run our offer first. Sometimes the cash out beats another year of chasing a rent increase.
Easiest way to get an offer
Text PHOTOS to 501-746-2535
Send us the address and a couple of pictures. We'll come back with a written offer, usually same day. No forms, no calls until you're ready.
- 1. Tap the buttonOpens your texting app with the message already filled in.
- 2. Add address + cityFill in the address and city/state lines, plus tenant status if you know it.
- 3. Attach a few photosInside, outside, kitchen, the bad spots, whatever you've got. Hit send.
Standard message rates apply. We never share your number.
Where these answers come from
We are landlords and buyers, not attorneys. Everything above is general information about Arkansas rental property, not legal advice for your specific property. Rules change and counties handle things differently, so check with an Arkansas attorney before you act on any of it.
What people say
Real people we've helped.
Verified Google reviews from sellers, landlords, and property owners we've worked with across Arkansas. The quotes are word for word, names and ratings and all.
"I live out of state and my mother had passed away very unexpectedly and I had her house to handle. Mr. Campbell and his team made it easy. Honestly the best possible experience and not an easy case to deal with either. Very impressed and thankful."
"I had a rental property left in bad condition. I was in the middle of cancer treatment and just didn't have the time to mess with all the repairs. Jeff handled everything. It was such a relief."
"The process of selling my property was very easy. Working with Jeff and his team was professional, and the closing process was within 30 days. Would recommend this company for selling your property as is."
"I wasn't sure what to expect, but all of my concerns were put to rest after meeting Jeff and sharing my story with him. Jeff was so kind, very professional and compassionate with me and my situation."
"Everyone on the team was super kind and very easy to work with. I live out of state and just wanted to get the best price quickly for my property. They were professional, courteous, and very knowledgeable. The process was so easy."
"The service was exceptional. Throughout the experience, I felt valued as a customer. Each company representative was responsive, thorough, transparent, and patient."
Still have a question we did not answer?
Call and ask. We will tell you straight, even if the answer is that you should keep the property. No pressure and no fee for the conversation.