Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Arkansas
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Arkansas.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Arkansas maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Arkansas's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: Under Ark. Code 18-16-304 a landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit worth more than two months' rent. This rule sits inside a subchapter that does not apply to small landlords. If a person (with their spouse, minor children, and any entity they control) owns five or fewer rental units in total, the deposit statute does not apply to them at all, so the cap, the return deadline, and the itemization rule do not bind them. The exemption is lost the moment a third party manages the units, including collecting rent, for a fee (Ark. Code 18-16-303).
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What Arkansas renters get wrong
Arkansas caps a residential security deposit at two months' rent, but the cap comes with a large exception that catches many renters off guard. The deposit statute (Ark. Code 18-16-303 through 18-16-306) does not apply to a landlord who owns five or fewer rental units and manages them without a paid agent. If your landlord is that small and self-managing, the two-month cap, the 60-day return deadline, and the itemization rule simply do not bind them, and your written lease may be your only protection. When the statute does apply, the landlord must return your deposit within 60 days of the end of the tenancy, or send you an itemized written notice of any deductions plus the remaining balance. A landlord who wrongfully keeps a covered deposit can owe you two times the amount withheld, plus court costs and attorney's fees. Arkansas does not require interest on your deposit or a separate account to hold it.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Arkansas?
No more than two months' rent (Ark. Code 18-16-304). One catch: if your landlord owns five or fewer rental units and manages them without a paid agent, the deposit statute does not apply to them, so the cap does not bind that landlord.
Does the Arkansas security deposit law apply to my landlord?
Not always. The statute exempts a landlord who, counting their spouse, minor children, and any entity they control, owns five or fewer rental units in total. That exemption disappears if a third party manages the units or collects rent for a fee. Landlords with six or more units, or who hire a paid manager, are covered.
How long does a landlord have to return my deposit in Arkansas?
A covered landlord has 60 days from the end of the tenancy to return the deposit or send a written, itemized list of any deductions along with the balance. Mailing it by first class mail to your last known address counts as delivery. If the letter comes back and the landlord cannot find you after reasonable effort, the money becomes the landlord's after 180 days.
What can I do if my Arkansas landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
If the statute covers your landlord, you can recover the money owed, damages equal to two times the amount wrongfully withheld, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees (Ark. Code 18-16-306). The landlord can cut the damages down to what was actually owed by proving the mistake was made in good faith or that there was a real dispute over the amount.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.