Arkansas eviction laws
Notices, deadlines, court and tenant rights in Arkansas — in plain English.
Learn › Arkansas
Overview
- The court case
- Unlawful detainer
- Court
- Circuit Court (or District Court) of the county where the property is located
- Main laws
- Unlawful detainer, Ark. Code 18-60-301 et seq. (grounds: 18-60-304; tenant objection: 18-60-307); Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007, Ark. Code 18-17-101 et seq. (18-17-701, 18-17-704)
Just-cause protection
No statewide law
Arkansas has no just-cause eviction law. A month-to-month tenancy may be ended without a reason with proper notice. (Ark. Code 18-17-704)
Notices before filing, by reason
What a landlord must serve before filing — and what a tenant should expect to receive.
Unpaid rent — Three-Day Notice to Quit (Notice to Vacate)
When rent is not paid when due, the landlord must give the tenant a written 3-day notice to quit and demand for possession before filing an unlawful detainer case. The statute does not give the tenant a right to stop the eviction by paying during the 3 days.
Three-Day Notice to Quit (Notice to Vacate)
- Notice period
- 3 days
- Counting
- 3 full days after the notice is delivered; do not count the day of delivery. File only after the 3 days have passed.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- Tenant names and property address
- Statement that rent is past due (amount recommended)
- Written demand that the tenant vacate and deliver possession within 3 days
- Date, landlord or agent signature
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Post it on the door; Certified mail (return receipt). The statute only requires a written notice and demand; it does not list delivery methods. Hand delivery to the tenant is safest. Keep proof of delivery.
- Law
- Ark. Code 18-60-304(3)
- Double-check with the court: The statute does not specify how the 3-day notice must be served; posting or mailing may be challenged. Personal delivery is recommended.
- Accepting rent after serving the notice may waive it.
- Arkansas also has a criminal 'failure to vacate' statute (Ark. Code 18-16-101) with a 10-day notice; it is controversial and not part of the civil unlawful detainer process described here.
The tenant broke the lease or rules — Fourteen-Day Notice of Noncompliance → Three-Day Notice to Quit
For a lease violation, the landlord gives written notice describing the violation and stating that the lease will end in 14 days unless the tenant fixes it. If it is not fixed, the landlord gives the 3-day notice to quit and may then file.
Fourteen-Day Notice of Noncompliance
- Notice period
- 14 days
- Counting
- 14 days after the tenant receives the notice; do not count the day of receipt.
- Tenant can fix it?
- Yes, within the notice period
- Must include
- Specific acts or omissions that violate the lease
- Statement that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than 14 days after receipt unless the breach is remedied within 14 days
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Certified mail (return receipt). Hand delivery is safest; keep proof of the delivery date.
- Law
- Ark. Code 18-17-701(a)
Three-Day Notice to Quit
- Notice period
- 3 days
- Counting
- 3 days after delivery, after the tenancy has ended.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- Tenant names and address
- Statement that the tenancy has ended for the uncured violation
- Demand to vacate within 3 days
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Post it on the door; Certified mail (return receipt). Hand delivery is safest.
- Law
- Ark. Code 18-60-304
- Double-check with the court: Whether a separate 3-day notice to quit is required after the 14-day notice expires is not clearly settled; serving both is the cautious approach.
The lease ended and the tenant stayed — Three-Day Notice to Quit (Holdover)
When a fixed-term lease ends, the landlord does not need to give advance notice of non-renewal, but must give a written 3-day notice to quit and demand for possession before filing if the tenant stays.
Three-Day Notice to Quit (Holdover)
- Notice period
- 3 days
- Counting
- 3 days after delivery; do not count the day of delivery.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- Tenant names and address
- Date the lease expired
- Written demand to vacate within 3 days
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Post it on the door; Certified mail (return receipt). Hand delivery is safest.
- Law
- Ark. Code 18-60-304(2)
- If rent is accepted after the lease ends, a month-to-month tenancy may result, requiring a 30-day termination notice.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no fault) — Thirty-Day Notice to Terminate Month-to-Month Tenancy
A month-to-month tenancy can be ended by written notice at least 30 days before the termination date. After it ends, a 3-day notice to quit is served before filing.
Thirty-Day Notice to Terminate Month-to-Month Tenancy
- Notice period
- 30 days (month-to-month: 30 days)
- Counting
- At least 30 days before the termination date in the notice; do not count the day of delivery. Ending on the last day of a rental period is safest.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- Tenant names and address
- Statement that the tenancy is terminated
- Termination date at least 30 days after delivery
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Certified mail (return receipt). Hand delivery is safest.
- Law
- Ark. Code 18-17-704
- Double-check with the court: Arkansas statutes do not clearly state a period for week-to-week tenancies; 7 days before the end of a weekly period is the common practice.
Illegal activity, violence or serious damage — Three-Day Notice to Quit (Illegal Activity / Serious Breach)
For serious misconduct, such as illegal activity on the premises or conduct that threatens health or safety, the landlord may terminate the lease (without a 14-day cure period) and serve a 3-day notice to quit before filing.
Three-Day Notice to Quit (Illegal Activity / Serious Breach)
- Notice period
- 3 days
- Counting
- 3 days after delivery; do not count the day of delivery.
- Tenant can fix it?
- No
- Must include
- Tenant names and address
- Description of the illegal activity or serious breach
- Demand to vacate within 3 days
- How to serve
- Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Post it on the door; Certified mail (return receipt). Hand delivery is safest.
- Law
- Ark. Code 18-60-304; 18-17-701
- Double-check with the court: Arkansas statutes do not define a separate no-cure notice for criminal activity; the lease terms usually control.
How a tenant responds
After being served, the tenant has 5 days (not counting Sundays and legal holidays) to file a written objection with the court. If no objection is filed, the court can issue a writ of possession without a hearing. In nonpayment cases, a tenant who objects must generally pay the rent claimed into the court registry to stay in possession while the case is pending.
Deadline: 5 days after being served · Ark. Code 18-60-307
Official court forms
Landlords
- Form of Summons (general civil, Ark. R. Civ. P. 4)
Sources
- Ark. Code 18-60-304 (Justia, 2025)
- Legal Aid of Arkansas - Unlawful Detainer Evictions
- Legal Aid of Arkansas - Evictions
Checked 2026-09. General information, not legal advice; laws change and courts differ. We strive for accuracy but don’t guarantee it.