An Arkansas eviction notice is a written notice a landlord serves on a tenant to end a tenancy under the state's unlawful detainer law, most often for nonpayment of rent. The landlord must serve this notice before filing an eviction case in an Arkansas district court.
Last Updated: September 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Arkansas law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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The eviction laws in Arkansas, primarily Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304, set the notice a landlord must give before going to court. A tenant behind on rent is entitled to three days' written notice and a written demand for possession.
Arkansas's eviction rules come from the state's unlawful detainer statute, Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304, which sets both the notice a landlord must give and the grounds that support eviction. For nonpayment of rent, a landlord must give the tenant three days' written notice and a written demand for possession before pursuing eviction in court. Other grounds under the same statute include nuisance, waste, and failing to keep the property safe and habitable.[2]
An Arkansas eviction notice is also called a notice to quit or a notice to vacate. All three names describe the same document a landlord serves before filing an eviction case in court.
Arkansas law also requires that the demand for possession be made in writing by the landlord, or by the landlord's agent or attorney. FormsPal's deadline calculator can help count the three-day notice period accurately.[2]
Fail or refuse to pay the rent for the land, tenement, or possession when due, and after three (3) days' notice to quit and demand made in writing for the possession of the land, tenement, or possession by the person entitled to the land, tenement, or possession or his or her agent or attorney, shall refuse to quit possession.
For a lease violation other than nonpayment, the landlord may give a written notice that names the violation and states that the rental agreement ends on a date at least 14 days after the tenant receives it. The tenant has 14 days after receiving the written notice to correct the violation, or the lease ends on the date in the notice (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a)).[1]
Under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(b), if rent is not paid within five days of the due date, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement. This is separate from the three-day notice to quit and written demand for possession under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304.[1]
| Notice for Nonpayment of Rent | 3 days, written[2] |
| Court Filing Required | Complaint and affidavit of eviction filed with the district court[1] |
| Written Demand | Must be in writing, by the landlord or an agent or attorney[2] |
| Governing Law | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304 |
Arkansas eviction notices differ by the reason a landlord is ending the tenancy, whether the tenant has a written lease or lives under a month-to-month rental agreement. Arkansas's unlawful detainer statute recognizes eviction for nonpayment of rent and for nuisance, waste, or habitability violations, each with its own grounds under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304.[2]
Landlords in many states, including Arkansas, may also evict for lease violations other than nonpayment of rent, or to end a month-to-month tenancy without cause. In Arkansas, the tenant has 14 days after receiving a written notice to correct a lease violation (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a)), and either the landlord or the tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy on at least 30 days' written notice (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(b)).[1]
For ending a month-to-month tenancy without cause, many states use a document sometimes called a 30-day notice to vacate. FormsPal's lease termination letter covers that situation. In Arkansas, either the landlord or the tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with a written notice given at least 30 days before the termination date stated in the notice, and a week-to-week tenancy needs at least seven days (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704).[1]
An Arkansas eviction notice should give the tenant everything needed to understand it and respond. This guide's verified sources set the notice period and the writing requirement. The items below reflect common practice landlords use to make a notice clear.
For example, if tenant Anna Baker owes $800 in rent at 123 Main Street, her landlord's notice would state the amount owed, the property address, and the date by which she must pay or move out.
Evicting a tenant in Arkansas runs through the district court. A landlord chooses the notice that matches the ground for eviction, serves it in writing, and waits for the notice period to end. If the tenant has not left, the landlord files a complaint and a supporting affidavit of eviction with the district court that has jurisdiction over the property.[1]
When grounds exist for eviction of a tenant under this subchapter, a landlord or his or her agent may commence an action for eviction by filing with a district court having jurisdiction a complaint and supporting affidavit of eviction that specifies the grounds for the eviction.
A few common mistakes can delay or derail an Arkansas eviction case. Avoiding them keeps the process moving and reduces the risk of a court sending the case back to the start.
Once an Arkansas eviction reaches district court, the case uses a small set of standard court documents. The complaint and its supporting affidavit of eviction start the case. The court and the parties then use additional forms to move it toward judgment.[1]
The three-day eviction notice in Arkansas is the written notice a landlord gives a tenant for nonpayment of rent. Arkansas law requires the landlord to give the tenant three days' written notice and a written demand for possession before filing an eviction case in district court.[2]
Not immediately. Arkansas law entitles a tenant who has not paid rent to three days' written notice and a demand for possession before the landlord can file an eviction case, and the eviction itself still goes through the district court. The three days is the notice period, not the full time the case takes to resolve.[2]
The shortest eviction notice period this guide's verified sources confirm for Arkansas is three days, for nonpayment of rent under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304. Other grounds follow longer periods: 14 days for the tenant to correct a lease violation (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a)) and at least 30 days' written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(b)).[1]
General information, not legal or tax advice.
