Arkansas security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Arkansas law behind your request. Download the free PDF or Word template, or fill in your dates and figures below.
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Before sending in Arkansas
Check the small-landlord exemption first
Check coverage: Arkansas's security deposit law does not apply if your landlord (counting units owned with a spouse, minor children, or through their entities) owns five or fewer rental units, unless a third party manages the property or collects rent for a fee (§ 18-16-303). If your landlord qualifies for this small-landlord exemption, the 60-day deadline and the penalties described here do not apply to your tenancy.
Before citing Arkansas's 60-day deposit rule, check whether the landlord qualifies for the five-or-fewer-unit exemption or uses paid third-party management. The lease remains important where the statute does not apply.
What records should support deductions?
No statutory requirement to attach receipts or invoices; only the itemized written notice.
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Choose your situation, then add your figures. No account or payment. Unfilled details stay in brackets for you to edit.
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[Your name] [Your current mailing address] [Date] [Landlord or property manager name] [Address designated for notices] SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED RE: Request for return of security deposit - [rental property address] Dear [Landlord]: I vacated the property on [move-out date] and paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. Under Ark. Code § 18-16-305: Within 60 days of termination of the tenancy; mailing the notice and payment first-class to the tenant's last known address is compliance, and an unclaimed mailed refund becomes the landlord's property 180 days after mailing. [Before sending: confirm this statute covers your tenancy.] REQUEST Please return $[amount requested] of my deposit to the mailing address above. Please explain any deductions you maintain and provide the itemized statement and supporting records required by the applicable law. If the statutory conditions are met, under Ark. Code § 18-16-306, wrongful withholding makes you liable for the amount due plus damages of twice the amount wrongfully withheld, together with costs and reasonable attorney's fees. Please respond by [response date after any required notice or cure period]. This requested date does not shorten any applicable statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable requirements are satisfied, I intend to pursue the remedies available in small claims court. Sincerely, [Your signature] Enclosures: [List the records you are actually attaching.]
Review your dates and the records behind each charge before signing. The free analysis can help you assess disputed deductions and possible additional recovery.
From a blank request to a documented demand
See what your case documents add.
The free editor fills in your facts. The analysis reviews your charges and applicable rules; your paid case documents bring together the letter, damages summary and organized evidence checklist.
One charge, made specific.
Arkansas example: repainting ordinary wall scuffs, $900. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $900 charge for repainting ordinary wall scuffs. Please return that amount.
The free editor lets you add your own reasons and records.
In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: Ark. Code §§ 18-16-305, 18-16-306 ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Arkansas case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Arkansas sample letter
Fictional Arkansas case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
September 08, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Arkansas rental address]
Dear Daniel Reed (fictional landlord):
I vacated the above rental property on August 01, 2026 and paid a security deposit of $2,000.00. Under Ark. Code § 18-16-305 (Arkansas Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Within 60 days of termination of the tenancy; mailing the notice and payment first-class to the tenant's last known address is compliance, and an unclaimed mailed refund becomes the landlord's property 180 days after mailing.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Ark. Code § 18-16-305 for the reasons below. Please provide the records supporting each disputed charge, including the work, cost, and condition at issue. For replacement charges, explain the item's age and how you calculated the amount charged:
• Repainting ordinary wall scuffs - $900.00
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
I do not contest the following deductions, totaling $200.00: Unpaid rent balance ($200.00).
This demand does not cancel any accepted debt. Any separate claim or counterclaim must credit amounts already paid or retained toward that debt.
DEMAND
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under Ark. Code § 18-16-306, wrongful withholding makes you liable for the amount due plus damages of twice the amount wrongfully withheld, together with costs and reasonable attorney's fees. I reserve the right to seek that remedy if its conditions are established in court.
Please deliver payment to the address above no later than September 22, 2026 (14 days from the date of this letter). This requested date does not shorten any statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable notice, service and waiting requirements are satisfied, I intend to file suit in small claims court. I have retained dated photographs of the property's condition, the lease, our correspondence, your itemized statement, the repair receipts you provided, and this demand letter.
Sincerely,
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
Enclosures: Evidence exhibit listSend it with a record you can use.
Give a current mailing address, the termination date and a charge-by-charge response to any itemization. Keep the lease and payment record with your copy of the request.
Ark. Code § 18-16-305: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Watch for first-class mail to your last known address. Follow up promptly on an unclaimed refund rather than assuming the money remains available indefinitely.
They refund some or all of it
Save the payment record and update what remains disputed. Read any settlement or release before agreeing to it.
They reject the request or explain the deductions
Match each explanation to your lease and condition records. Reply with the specific amounts and reasons still disputed.
The letter comes back or nobody responds
Keep the envelope or tracking record. Check the address and required service method before using the Arkansas filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Arkansas letter refer to?
Within 60 days of termination of the tenancy; mailing the notice and payment first-class to the tenant's last known address is compliance, and an unclaimed mailed refund becomes the landlord's property 180 days after mailing. Noncompliance exposes the landlord to suit under § 18-16-306: the money due, plus damages of two times the amount wrongfully withheld, plus costs and attorney's fees - subject to a good-faith/clerical-error safe harbor.
What penalties does Arkansas law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Refund of the amount due + statutory damages equal to 2x the amount wrongfully withheld + costs + reasonable attorney's fees (§ 18-16-306) - effectively 3x total exposure. Safe harbor: only costs and the erroneously withheld sum if the error was despite reasonable procedures or a good-faith dispute.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $5,000; filing fees about $30-$65 depending on county). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Arkansas filing steps and court forms →