Arkansas security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in Arkansas. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in Arkansas
- Return timing
- 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.
- Accounting for deductions
- Deductions for unpaid rent and damages must be itemized in a written notice delivered to the tenant, with the remainder paid within the 60-day window (§ 18-16-305(a)(2)).
- Deposit interest
- The state deposit statute does not require interest. Check any additional lease or local rule.
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
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.
Have you confirmed that the deposit protections described below apply to your rental?
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. If unsure, leave this unanswered; the disputed refund can still be analyzed without assuming these statutory remedies.
These statutory protections have not been established for this rental. The refund dispute remains based on the lease and the charges.
What starts the return clock?
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.
Ark. Code §§ 18-16-305, 18-16-306 ↗Check your return timing
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
No statutory requirement to attach receipts or invoices; only the itemized written notice.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
Ark. Code §§ 18-16-305, 18-16-306 ↗What could you recover?
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.
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in Ark. Code § 18-16-306(a)(1), including applicable notice requirements. A multiplier that already includes the deposit should not be added to that deposit again.
Ark. Code §§ 18-16-305, 18-16-306 ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $5,000. Filing: $30-$65 by county + service. The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Arkansas deposit rights
How long does a Arkansas landlord have to return a security deposit?
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.
Ark. Code §§ 18-16-305, 18-16-306 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in Arkansas?
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. Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
Ark. Code §§ 18-16-305, 18-16-306 ↗Understand the possible recovery →Which coverage conditions should I check in Arkansas?
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. 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. If unsure, leave this unanswered; the disputed refund can still be analyzed without assuming these statutory remedies. These statutory protections have not been established for this rental. The refund dispute remains based on the lease and the charges.
Ark. Code §§ 18-16-305, 18-16-306 ↗What accounting should I ask for in Arkansas?
Deductions for unpaid rent and damages must be itemized in a written notice delivered to the tenant, with the remainder paid within the 60-day window (§ 18-16-305(a)(2)). No statutory requirement to attach receipts or invoices; only the itemized written notice.
Ark. Code §§ 18-16-305, 18-16-306 ↗