Eviction notices in Arkansas

For unlawful detainer, a tenant who fails to pay rent when due commits unlawful detainer if, after 3 days' written notice to quit and demand for possession, the tenant refuses to leave (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304, as summarized in the Arkansas courts' benchbook; Arkansas Attorney General). Separately, under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, if rent is not paid within 5 days after the due date, the landlord may terminate the lease (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(b), Act 1004 of 2007).

Can the tenant pay to stop it? No statutory right to stop the eviction by paying during the 3-day notice.

Type:

Notice to vacate, no right to pay

Notice period:

3 days

Law:

Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304; § 18-17-701(b)

For a lease violation, the landlord may deliver a written notice stating the breach and that the lease will end on a date at least 14 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 14 days (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a), as enacted by Act 1004 of 2007). Health-and-safety violations also get 14 days' written notice unless it is an emergency (§ 18-17-702).

Chance to fix it: The tenant has 14 days after receiving the notice to remedy the breach.

Type:

Fix it or move out

Notice period:

14 days

Law:

Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a)

Not found in the official sources reviewed. The court-stage objection period (5 days) excludes Sundays and legal holidays (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307(b), as amended by Act 414 of 2023).

The notice must be written (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304). A delivery method for the pre-filing notice was not found in the official sources reviewed.

The landlord files an unlawful detainer complaint with affidavit; the clerk issues a summons and a 'Notice of Intention to Issue Writ of Possession' served by the sheriff or a process server. The tenant has 5 days, excluding Sundays and legal holidays, to file a written objection; if none is filed, a writ of possession issues on court order. A tenant who objects and stays must deposit the rent due into the court registry and keep paying it there (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307, Act 1052 of 2021 and Act 414 of 2023). If no objection is filed, the tenant can be removed by the county sheriff (Arkansas Attorney General).

• Arkansas has a 2021 implied minimum housing standard for leases entered or renewed after Nov. 1, 2021, but a tenant may not withhold rent over it (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-502, Act 1052 of 2021).
• The Attorney General notes these laws apply to private rentals, not government-subsidized housing.
• Arkansas also has a criminal failure-to-vacate law: a tenant who does not pay rent when due forfeits the right to stay, and one who willfully refuses to leave after 10 days' written notice to vacate commits a misdemeanor, fined $1 to $25 per day. A tenant who pleads not guilty and stays must deposit the rent due into the court registry (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-16-101, as amended by Act 159 of 2017).

• Arkansas notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (no-cause notice by tenant or landlord)
• Arkansas security deposit law: deadlines after move-out
• Federal 30-day notice for covered properties (CARES Act)

• Arkansas Attorney General - Landlord and Tenant Rights Retrieved October 13, 2026.
• Arkansas Circuit Courts Judges' Benchbook (2022) - unlawful detainer, quoting Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304 Retrieved October 13, 2026.
• Act 1004 of 2007 (Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act; § 18-17-701, -702) Retrieved October 13, 2026.
• Act 1052 of 2021 (§ 18-17-502; § 18-60-307) Retrieved October 13, 2026.
• Act 414 of 2023 (§ 18-60-307(b)) Retrieved October 13, 2026.
• Act 159 of 2017 (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-16-101) Retrieved October 13, 2026.

Laws change. This page was checked against the sources above on October 13, 2026. It is legal information, not legal advice; if you have an eviction case, contact your state's legal aid. See our methodology.