✓ Law Verified June 2026
This guide explains your rights when your Arkansas landlord will not make repairs — what they must provide, how much notice to give, and your options including repair-and-deduct and rent withholding. All figures are from Arkansas law, verified as of June 2026.
In This Arkansas Guide:
Arkansas Repair & Habitability Rules at a Glance
| Warranty of habitability | LIMITED YES — Arkansas was the last state to adopt any habitability standard. Act 1052 of 2021 created Ark. Code 18-17-502 (“Implied Residential Quality Standards”), effective for leases entered or renewed after November 1, 2021. This is NOT a full implied warranty of habitability like other states have. The landlord must maintain hot and cold running water, electricity, potable drinking water, a sanitary sewer/plumbing system, a functioning roof and building envelope, and a functioning HVAC system (to the extent it served the unit when the lease was signed). However, the tenant’s only remedy for violations is to terminate the lease — not to withhold rent or repair and deduct. For leases predating November 2021 that were never renewed, the old “as-is” rules may still apply with no implied quality standards at all. |
| Notice to landlord required | 30 — Under Ark. Code 18-17-502, the tenant must provide written notice to the landlord by certified mail (or whatever alternative method the lease allows) describing the issue. The landlord then has 30 calendar days to remedy the noncompliance. If the landlord fails to fix the issue within 30 days, the tenant’s sole remedy is to terminate the lease without penalty and receive a refund of the security deposit. The tenant’s rent must be current (not delinquent) for this remedy to apply. |
| Repair-and-deduct allowed | NO — Arkansas does not allow repair and deduct. Tenants may not make repairs themselves and deduct the cost from rent. Ark. Code 18-17-502 explicitly states that a tenant shall not offset or withhold rent for any alleged or actual violation of the implied quality standards. |
| Rent withholding allowed | NO — Arkansas explicitly prohibits rent withholding for unrepaired conditions. Even when the landlord has clearly violated the implied residential quality standards under Ark. Code 18-17-502, the tenant’s sole remedy is to terminate the lease after giving proper written notice — not to withhold rent. If a tenant withholds rent, the landlord may proceed with eviction. |
| Rent escrow option | NO — Arkansas does not have a rent escrow statute. There is no statutory procedure for tenants to pay rent into an escrow account during repair disputes. |
What Your Arkansas Landlord Must Provide
Under Ark. Code 18-17-502, a landlord must provide and maintain: (1) hot and cold running water, (2) electricity, (3) potable drinking water, (4) a sanitary sewer system and plumbing conforming to applicable codes at time of installation, (5) a functioning roof and building envelope (structural integrity), and (6) a functioning heating and air conditioning system to the extent the HVAC system served the unit at lease signing.
The landlord is not responsible for damage caused deliberately or negligently by someone other than the landlord. Pest control, smoke detectors, and mold remediation are NOT explicitly required by state statute but may be covered by local municipal codes in some cities.
Your Options When Repairs Are Not Made
Repair and deduct: NO — Arkansas does not allow repair and deduct. Tenants may not make repairs themselves and deduct the cost from rent. Ark. Code 18-17-502 explicitly states that a tenant shall not offset or withhold rent for any alleged or actual violation of the implied quality standards.
Withhold rent: NO — Arkansas explicitly prohibits rent withholding for unrepaired conditions. Even when the landlord has clearly violated the implied residential quality standards under Ark. Code 18-17-502, the tenant’s sole remedy is to terminate the lease after giving proper written notice — not to withhold rent. If a tenant withholds rent, the landlord may proceed with eviction.
Report to code enforcement: Arkansas tenants may report housing code violations to their local city or county code enforcement office, building department, or health department. Call 311 or your city hall to find the correct office. An inspector will investigate and may issue citations requiring the property owner to correct violations within a set timeframe or face fines.
In Little Rock, contact the Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs at (501) 371-6825. Important: not all Arkansas municipalities have code enforcement — rural areas may have limited or no local housing code enforcement at all. There is no statewide rental inspection program. For fair housing complaints, contact the Arkansas Department of Inspector General at ig.arkansas.gov/fair-housing/.
Constructive eviction: YES — Arkansas courts recognize constructive eviction through case law. If a landlord’s actions or failures effectively deprive the tenant of the use and benefit of the premises, it may constitute constructive eviction, allowing the tenant to break the lease.
In 300 Spring Building v. Matthews, the court found constructive eviction where the landlord failed to furnish water fit for human consumption, functioning HVAC, and janitorial services as promised.
Constructive eviction is also recognized when landlords use illegal self-help measures such as shutting off utilities, removing windows or doors, or changing locks. Whether a situation qualifies is determined case by case.
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Retaliation protection: YES — Under Ark. Code 18-17-806, landlords are prohibited from retaliating against tenants who request repairs or report code violations. Prohibited retaliatory actions include increasing rent, decreasing services, refusing to renew a lease, or filing an eviction lawsuit in response to a repair request.
If a landlord takes adverse action within 6 months after a tenant exercises their legal rights, the law presumes the action was retaliatory and the burden shifts to the landlord to prove otherwise.
Tenants may sue for up to 3 months rent plus attorney fees as a remedy for retaliation.
Other Arkansas repair rules: Arkansas is widely considered the most landlord-friendly state in the nation regarding habitability. It was the last state to adopt any residential quality standards (2021), and even then the standards are weaker than every other state. The tenant’s ONLY statutory remedy for habitability violations is to terminate the lease and move out — there is no right to withhold rent, no repair-and-deduct, and no rent escrow.
Leases entered or renewed after November 1, 2021 are covered by Ark. Code 18-17-502; older leases that have never been renewed may still be governed by the prior “as-is” rules with no implied quality standards.
Under Ark. Code 18-17-502, landlords and tenants shall not agree in a lease to waive or forego any of the rights, duties, or remedies available under the chapter. The landlord can terminate for nonpayment after only a 5-day grace period (Ark. Code 18-17-701), which is shorter than many states.
Security deposits are capped at 2 months rent and must be returned within 60 days after move-out. Free legal help is available through Legal Aid of Arkansas (arlawhelp.org) and Center for Arkansas Legal Services (arkansaslegal.org).
Understanding Arkansas Landlord Repair Obligations
When Arkansas landlord repairs are not made, you have options — but you must follow the right steps to protect yourself legally. Arkansas landlord repairs law requires written notice to the landlord, a reasonable time to fix the problem, and documentation of the condition. Skipping any step can weaken your position if the dispute over Arkansas landlord repairs ends up in court.
Always put your repair request in writing, keep a copy, and take dated photos — this paper trail is your strongest evidence that Arkansas landlord repairs were demanded and ignored.
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Official Arkansas Sources & Resources
- Arkansas Attorney General: https://arkansasag.gov/divisions/public-protection/homes/landlord-and-tenant-rights/
- Arkansas Habitability Statute: https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-18/subtitle-2/chapter-17/subchapter-5/section-18-17-502/
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: hud.gov
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex
This Arkansas repairs guide was last verified against official sources in June 2026. Laws change — verify with your state or a local legal-aid office.
More Arkansas Tenant Rights Guides
- Arkansas Tenant Rights
- Arkansas Eviction Process
- Arkansas Security Deposit Law
- Arkansas Rent Increase Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Arkansas
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Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal advice. Landlord-tenant laws change and vary by city and county within a state. Verify current rules with your state, your local court, or a free legal-aid office before acting. If you are facing eviction, contact a local tenant attorney or legal-aid organization right away.