What notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Arkansas?
A tenant who fails to pay rent when due forfeits the right to stay. Under the criminal failure-to-vacate statute, after 10 days' written notice to vacate a tenant who willfully refuses commits a misdemeanor (fine $1 to $25 per day). For civil unlawful detainer, the Arkansas Attorney General says 3 days' written notice to vacate is required (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304, statute text not reviewed by us).
Before you can file an eviction for unpaid rent in Arkansas, you usually have to give the tenant a written notice first. The verified rule above covers what that notice requires. If the notice is wrong, a court can throw out the case and you start over.
Step by step
Check your lease and your records so you know exactly how much rent is past due.
Write the notice using the notice period and contents in the rule above.
Deliver it in a way the law allows, and note the date, time and method.
Wait out the full notice period. Count the days carefully and don't file early.
If the tenant pays in full within the period, accept it unless the law says otherwise.
If they don't pay or move out, you can file the eviction case with the court.
Common mistakes to avoid
Filing before the notice period has fully run.
Adding late fees or other charges to the amount demanded when the rule only covers rent.
Delivering the notice by a method the law doesn't recognize.
Changing the locks or shutting off utilities instead of going through court.
Losing proof of when and how the notice was served.
This is general information, not legal advice. The verified rule and source above control. Check the source or a local attorney for your situation.
Related Arkansas rules
Eviction court process & timeline
The landlord files a complaint and affidavit in district court. The court orders the tenant to vacate or show cause within 10 calendar days (§ 18-17-902). If the tenant does not respond, the tenant is ejected (§ 18-17-904). If the landlord wins, the court issues a writ of eviction within 3 days (§ 18-17-907).
$65 uniform filing fee to start a civil-division district court action, which applies to an eviction complaint (Ark. Code Ann. §§ 16-17-705(b)(1), 18-17-902(a)(2)). A $15 technology fee (§ 21-6-416) is listed in the Arkansas Judiciary District Court Benchbook (rev. 2017).
Arkansas's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (ch. 18-17) contains no express ban on landlord self-help lockouts or utility shutoffs (full-text search of the chapter). It provides court eviction procedures (§§ 18-17-901 et seq.).
If a tenant stays without consent after the lease ends, the landlord may sue for possession, recover attorney's fees for a bad-faith holdover, and for a willful violation recover up to 3 months' periodic rent or twice actual damages, whichever is greater, plus attorney's fees (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(c)).
No state statute allowing rent withholding or rent escrow by tenants was found in Ark. Code Ann. ch. 18-17 (Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007) and § 14-16-601, reviewed by full-text search.
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