Arkansas sets no cap on how much a landlord can raise the rent, but it does control the timing of the change. Under the Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007 (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-101 et seq.), either side may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 30 days' written notice, and either side may end a week-to-week tenancy with at least 7 days' written notice (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704, enacted by Act 1004 of 2007). Because a rent increase is really an offer of new terms going forward, the landlord has to use that same notice route — and the Arkansas Attorney General states the rule plainly: “Landlords must provide notice of at least one rental period before raising the rent. This rule applies to both oral and written leases.” For a monthly tenancy that is a month; for a weekly tenancy, a week.
How the notice period is actually measured
This is the detail most summaries get wrong, and getting it wrong costs money. Arkansas does not tie the notice to the rent-due date. The statute requires written notice “at least thirty (30) days before the termination date specified in the notice” (§ 18-17-704(b); seven days for week-to-week under § 18-17-704(a)). The clock runs to whatever termination date the notice itself names — not to the next first-of-the-month. The phrase “periodic rental date” comes from other states' versions of this law and appears nowhere in the Arkansas act.
A notice given on the 10th that names a termination date at least 30 days later complies with § 18-17-704. You do not have to wait for the 1st to serve it, and you do not automatically owe a whole extra rental period.
A notice that lands mid-month is not defective just because it does not expire on a rent-due date.
Your lease can change this. A written lease may require longer notice, notice on a specific date, or contain an automatic-renewal clause — and those terms control. Read the lease first.
You still owe rent for the days you remain in possession through the termination date.
Raising rent on a month-to-month tenancy
Arkansas does not set a dollar limit or a percentage cap on rent increases. To change the rent on a month-to-month arrangement, the landlord proposes new terms going forward and the tenant can accept the new rent or move out.
Give the increase in writing, at least one full rental period before it takes effect — 30 days for a monthly tenancy, 7 days for a weekly one.
There is no cap on the size of the increase. An increase cannot be discriminatory: the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 3604, 3617) and the Arkansas Fair Housing Act (Ark. Code Ann. § 16-123-201 et seq.) bar rent increases based on a protected class and bar coercion or retaliation for exercising fair-housing rights.
Be careful here: Arkansas landlord-tenant law contains no general anti-retaliation provision. The word “retaliation” does not appear anywhere in the 2007 Act. Unlike most states, Arkansas gives a tenant no retaliation defense to a rent increase or to a 30-day termination — which needs no reason at all. Do not refuse an increase or ignore a notice on the theory that it is illegal payback for complaining about repairs. Outside the fair-housing context, that argument will not save you.
Mid-lease increases on a fixed-term lease
If you signed a fixed-term lease — say a one-year lease at a set monthly rent — the landlord generally cannot raise the rent in the middle of the term. The agreed rent is locked in until the lease ends, unless the lease itself contains a clause allowing an adjustment (for example, a pass-through for higher property taxes or utilities). When the term ends, the landlord may offer a renewal at a higher rent, and you can accept it or decline.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
The 30-day rule in § 18-17-704 cuts both ways, and both sides measure it the same way — back from the termination date named in the notice.
Landlord ending the tenancy: written notice at least 30 days before the termination date stated in the notice (7 days week-to-week). No reason is required.
Tenant ending the tenancy: the same — at least 30 days' written notice before the termination date you name (7 days week-to-week). You pick the termination date; it does not have to be the last day of a rental month.
How to deliver it:§ 18-17-303(b)(2)(C) is specific for notices to a tenant — hand delivery, or registered or certified mail to the address the tenant holds out (or their last known residence), and “proof of mailing … constitutes notice without proof of receipt.” A landlord can therefore perfect notice by certified mail even if you never sign for it. Tenants serving notice on a landlord should deliver it to the landlord's place of business and keep dated proof.
No rent control in Arkansas — and cities may not create it
Arkansas has no rent control or rent stabilization, and this is stronger than a mere absence: local rent control is expressly preempted by statute. Under Ark. Code Ann. §§ 14-16-601 and 14-54-1409, a local governmental unit “shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling the amount charged for” rent, rental application fees, or rental deposits — except as provided under § 18-16-304. Act 459 of 2025 (approved April 3, 2025) added application fees and deposits to a rent-control preemption that already existed. So no Arkansas city or county can lawfully cap your rent increase. The written-notice rule is your main protection against a sudden jump.
Where these disputes are decided
Arkansas has more than one eviction track, and district court is not limited to small claims:
Civil unlawful detainer (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-301 et seq.): the Attorney General states a landlord must give three days' written notice to vacate before filing, and that after you are served with a summons you have five days to object in writing to the eviction. Missing that five-day window is how most tenants lose by default.
The 2007 Act's own civil eviction track (§§ 18-17-901 to 18-17-913): the landlord files an affidavit of eviction ($25 filing fee) with a court having jurisdiction, and the court orders the tenant to vacate or show cause within 10 days of being served. If you do not appear, a writ of eviction can issue.
Which courthouse: both circuit and district courts can hear these. § 18-17-203 vests jurisdiction in “the district court or appropriate court of this State,” and § 18-17-701(c)(1) lets a landlord obtain “judgments, or evictions in circuit court or district court.” Read the caption on your papers to see where your case actually is.
The criminal track: Arkansas is unusual in also having a criminal “failure to vacate” statute (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-16-101), prosecuted in district court. It carries real penalties, which is why a notice you think is defective is worth getting advice on rather than simply ignoring.
The bottom line
Month-to-month rent increases and terminations in Arkansas need at least 30 days' written notice (7 days week-to-week), and the 30 days is counted back from the termination date named in the notice, not from a rent-due date. Fixed-term leases lock the rent until the term ends. There is no cap on how much rent can rise, and no Arkansas city may impose one. Arkansas gives tenants no general retaliation defense, so deadlines — the 5-day objection window and the 10-day show-cause order — matter enormously. This is general information, not legal advice. Landlord-tenant law changes, so confirm the current Arkansas statute or check with an Arkansas attorney or a local legal aid office before acting on a notice.
Official Legal Sources for Arkansas
This page is based on Arkansas state landlord–tenant law. Laws change — verify the current text directly against the official sources below. This is general legal information, not legal advice.
Arkansas landlord–tenant statutes (full text) — reproduced on this site from the public-domain Arkansas Code, because Arkansas publishes its official code only through a commercial service.
Local ordinances may apply. This page covers Arkansas state law. Your city or county may add protections — such as rent control, just-cause eviction, rental registration, or stricter housing codes — that change these rules. Check your local city or county ordinances.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice must an Arkansas landlord give to raise the rent?
At least one full rental period. The Arkansas Attorney General states plainly that “Landlords must provide notice of at least one rental period before raising the rent,” and that this applies to both oral and written leases. For a month-to-month tenancy that means 30 days' written notice, matching the termination-notice rule in Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704; for week-to-week it is 7 days. Your written lease may require more, and if so the lease controls.
Does the 30 days have to run to the first of the month?
No. This is the most common misunderstanding about Arkansas law. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(b) requires written notice “at least thirty (30) days before the termination date specified in the notice.” The clock runs to the termination date the notice names, not to a rent-due date. A notice given on the 10th naming a termination date at least 30 days out complies. Arkansas deliberately did not adopt the “periodic rental date” rule that other states use — that phrase appears nowhere in the Arkansas act. Your lease can still impose a stricter requirement, so read it.
Is there a limit on how much rent can go up in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas has no rent control or rent stabilization, and there is no dollar or percentage cap. Local rent control is also expressly preempted: under Ark. Code Ann. §§ 14-16-601 and 14-54-1409, no Arkansas city or county may enact or enforce an ordinance controlling the amount charged for rent (or, since Act 459 of 2025, for rental application fees or deposits). An increase still cannot be discriminatory under the federal or Arkansas Fair Housing Acts.
Can my landlord raise the rent or evict me as payback for complaining about repairs?
Unfortunately, Arkansas gives you no general retaliation defense. The Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007 contains no anti-retaliation provision at all — unlike most states — and a 30-day termination of a month-to-month tenancy needs no reason. The narrow exception is fair housing: if the increase or termination is because of a protected class, or is coercion for exercising fair-housing rights, the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 3604, 3617) and the Arkansas Fair Housing Act (Ark. Code Ann. § 16-123-201 et seq.) apply. Do not stay put on the assumption that a notice is illegal retaliation — get advice instead.
Can my landlord raise the rent during a fixed-term lease in Arkansas?
Generally no. If you have a one-year (or other fixed-term) lease at a set rent, that rent is locked in until the term ends, unless the lease itself contains a clause allowing an adjustment. The landlord can raise the rent at renewal time.
How much notice do I have to give my Arkansas landlord to move out?
For a month-to-month tenancy, at least 30 days' written notice before the termination date you name in the notice (7 days for week-to-week), under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704. You choose the termination date — it does not have to be the end of a rental month, and giving notice mid-month does not by itself obligate you to pay an extra full rental period. You do owe rent through the termination date. Check your lease, since it may require longer notice.
What court handles rent and eviction disputes in Arkansas?
Both circuit and district courts can. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-203 vests jurisdiction in “the district court or appropriate court,” and § 18-17-701(c)(1) allows a landlord to obtain judgments or evictions “in circuit court or district court.” Civil unlawful detainer runs under § 18-60-301 et seq.; the 2007 Act also has its own affidavit-of-eviction track (§§ 18-17-901 to -913) with a 10-day show-cause deadline. Arkansas additionally has a criminal failure-to-vacate statute (§ 18-16-101). Read your papers to see which track you are on — and note that after an unlawful-detainer summons you have only five days to object in writing.
Does any Arkansas city have rent control?
No, and none legally can. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 14-16-601 and 14-54-1409 preempt local rent control statewide, and Act 459 of 2025 extended that preemption to rental application fees and rental deposits (subject to a § 18-16-304 carve-out). Increases are governed by your lease and by the notice rules for periodic tenancies.
This article is general legal information, not legal advice, and may not reflect the most current law or the law in your jurisdiction. Laws vary by state and change over time. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney.
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