Arkansas · Security deposits · Updated Oct 2026

Arkansas security deposit law

In Arkansas, your landlord has 60 days to return your deposit.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026

Short answer

In Arkansas, the deposit limit is: Two months' rent, but only if the landlord owns six or more rental units or uses a manager or rent collector. The landlord must return it as follows: For covered landlords: within 60 days after the tenancy ends and you move out, the landlord must return the deposit or give you a written, itemized list of what was kept for damages or unpaid rent (the Attorney General counts the 60 days from when you vacate).

deposit limit: 2 months' rent (with exceptions)
to return a deposit: 60 days
deposit penalty: Up to 2×

Get your letter ↓ Check the deadline ↓

We could not confirm all of Arkansas's rules yet. Some facts on this page rest on limited sources. Check the official sources below, or ask legal aid, before you rely on them.

Get your deposit back, step by step

Before you move out, clean, take dated photos and video of every room, and return all keys.
Give your landlord your new address in writing. In Arkansas: Give the landlord your new address.
Wait for the deadline: For covered landlords: within 60 days after the tenancy ends and you move out, the landlord must return the deposit or give you a written, itemized list of what was kept for damages or unpaid rent (the Attorney General counts the 60 days from when you vacate).
If the money or an itemized list doesn't come, or the deductions are wrong, send a demand letter (below). Keep proof of mailing.
If that doesn't work, sue in small claims court. Limit: $5,000 in money or property. Small claims court in Arkansas on RobinClaim

Deposit return calculator for Arkansas

Find your state's deadline for returning a security deposit, whether your landlord is late and what you may be owed.

Security deposit demand letter for Arkansas

A short, firm and polite letter asking your landlord to return your deposit by a date. It cites your state's deposit law. Many landlords pay at this step, and the letter is proof that you asked. Fill this in, download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it), sign it, keep a copy and send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail with a return receipt.

Your full name (required)

Where should they send your money? (your mailing address) (required)

Phone

Landlord or property manager (required)

The name on your lease or rent receipts.

Landlord's address (required to mail it)

Address of the rental (required)

I will hand it to the landlord or email it (no mailing address needed)

Date of the letter

Usually today. The deadline in the letter counts from this date.

Date you moved in

Date you moved out (required)

Deposit you paid ($) (required)

Amount the landlord returned ($)

Did you get an itemized list of deductions?

Days the landlord has to pay

We suggest 14 days.

Why the deductions are wrong (optional, in English)

One or two sentences. This text goes into the letter as written.

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Other formats

Sign it, keep a copy, and send it by certified mail with a return receipt. The receipt is your proof that the landlord got it.

Security deposit in Arkansas

Limit: Two months' rent, but only if the landlord owns six or more rental units or uses a manager or rent collector. Landlords with five or fewer units who manage them themselves are not covered by the deposit law, so put the deposit terms in a written lease.
Deadline to return it: For covered landlords: within 60 days after the tenancy ends and you move out, the landlord must return the deposit or give you a written, itemized list of what was kept for damages or unpaid rent (the Attorney General counts the 60 days from when you vacate). Give the landlord your new address. If the deposit is mailed to your last known address and comes back, the landlord only has to make a reasonable effort to find you; after 180 days the landlord may keep it (Legal Aid of Arkansas).
Itemized list: For covered landlords: a written, itemized list of the damages and amounts withheld, within 60 days. Receipts are not required.
What may be deducted: Unpaid rent and damage beyond normal wear and tear. Legal Aid of Arkansas notes landlords also deduct for failure to clean, unpaid late fees, and failing to give the move-out notice your lease requires. The landlord may keep the whole deposit if damages and unpaid rent are more than the deposit.
Interest: No interest requirement was found.
Move-in checklist: Not required for the deposit, but under the 2021 habitability law, if the landlord gives you a written form at move-in to list problems with water, electricity, sewer, roof, or heating and air, and you sign it without noting a defect or do not return it within 2 business days, the landlord is treated as meeting those standards at move-in. Fill it out carefully. Ark. Code § 18-17-502(c).
If the landlord keeps it wrongly: If a covered landlord wrongfully keeps all or part of the deposit, or does not send the itemized list, you can sue for it, usually in small claims court. Legal Aid of Arkansas says you may be entitled to twice the amount of the deposit plus costs and attorney's fees. The statute (Ark. Code § 18-16-305) is often summarized as twice the amount wrongfully withheld; we could not read the official text to confirm which.
Law: Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-16-301 to 18-16-306

Small claims court in Arkansas

Deposit disputes usually go to small claims court, where you don't need a lawyer. Limit: $5,000 in money or property.

How to file in Arkansas

More for Arkansas renters

Security deposit in nearby states

Sources

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026