Arkansas Tenant & Landlord Rights
Landlord and tenant laws in Arkansas are in place to protect the tenant and the property owner in a lease agreement. Property owners must follow the law when renting a property or removing a tenant from a rental unit. Both the landlord and tenant have rights and responsibilities under the law in Arkansas.
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Landlord Rights
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Landlords have the right to evict a tenant for any reason under Arkansas law. If there is a lease between the tenant and property owner, the contract may state the terms in regards to the amount of notice a tenant receives when terminating the lease. When leases have no provisions for notice, the landlord must give the tenant a notice of one rental period.
Property owners can withhold the security deposit from a tenant when there is damage to the unit or unpaid rent. The landlord must provide an itemized list of the reasons for withholding rent within 30 days of the tenant leaving the property.
The landlord has the right to give a tenant three days notice when using a civil eviction to remove tenants. The tenant must be given ten days notice when filing a criminal eviction for failure to pay rent in Arkansas. If the tenant fails to leave the property, the property owner can file a complaint with the courts and tenants may be charged with a misdemeanor in Arkansas for failing to pay rent.
Tenant Rights
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While a property owner may have the right to evict a tenant for any reason in the state of Arkansas, he cannot change the locks or turn off the utilities in the unit in an attempt to cause the tenant to leave. Landlords must give notice to tenants and go through the lawful eviction process.
Property owners may not require a security deposit that is more than two months rent for the unit. Tenants have the right to the security deposit within 30 days of leaving the rental unit.
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Considerations
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Landlords and tenants must carefully review the terms of a lease before agreeing to the terms of the contract. Property owners can list the rules the tenant must follow to avoid misunderstandings with the tenant. The belongings left behind in a residential dwelling by a tenant can be disposed of by the landlord or held until the tenant pays money owed for damages or back rent.
Discrimination
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Arkansas tenants have protection against discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin or handicap by the Federal Fair Housing Act. The law bans landlords from placing ads which state a preference for tenants, restricting tenants from using facilities on the property or assigning tenants to particular areas of the building based on discrimination.
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References
- Photo Credit Arkansas state contour against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
