Arkansas Rent Increase Laws: Rules and Notice Requirements

Under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007 (A.C.A. §§ 18-17-101 et seq.), Arkansas is one of the most landlord-friendly states in the country. Arkansas law does not have a specific statute for rent increase notice; instead, rent increases are legally achieved by terminating the existing tenancy and offering a new agreement at the increased rate. There is no cap on the amount of the increase and no restriction on frequency.

No Statewide Rent Control

Official Law Citation: The rules and regulations outlined on this page are configured under the official Arkansas Code § 18-17-704 - Termination of Periodic TenancyPreview unavailable and the rent control preemption statute A.C.A. § 14-54-1409Preview unavailable. Landlords must always ensure their lease agreements directly adhere to this state code.

Arkansas has no statewide rent control or rent stabilization laws. Additionally, under A.C.A. § 14-54-1409, local jurisdictions in Arkansas are prohibited from enacting their own rent control ordinances. The statute states that a local governmental unit shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential or commercial property.

This means landlords have complete discretion over:

• How much rent to charge initially.
• How much to increase rent by.
• How often to increase rent (subject to the termination notice requirements for periodic tenancies).

When Rent Can Be Raised

Fixed-Term Leases

A landlord cannot raise the rent during the active term of a fixed-term lease unless the lease agreement itself contains a specific clause permitting mid-term increases. Once the lease expires, the landlord can propose a new lease at any rental rate.

Month-to-Month Tenancies

For month-to-month tenancies, landlords can raise the rent by providing notice to terminate the existing tenancy and offering a new agreement at the higher rate. This requires at least 30 days' written notice.

Week-to-Week Tenancies

For week-to-week tenancies, landlords must provide at least seven days' written notice to terminate the current tenancy before the rent increase takes effect under a new agreement at the start of the next rental period.

Notice Requirements

Arkansas law does not explicitly regulate rent increase notice. Instead, landlords must follow the requirements for terminating a periodic tenancy under A.C.A. § 18-17-704 and offering a new agreement.

The notice must be delivered in writing. Because the increase is achieved by terminating the existing tenancy, the notice must be given at least the required number of days before the termination date specified in the notice.

Retaliatory Rent Increases

Arkansas law does not provide general statutory protection against retaliatory rent increases for residential tenants. Arkansas remains a "caveat lessee" (tenant beware) state.

While Act 1052 of 2021 (A.C.A. § 18-17-601) established minimum habitability standards, it explicitly limits tenant remedies. Under A.C.A. § 18-17-601(f), the statute does not create a cause of action for retaliation. Narrow statutory protections against retaliation exist only in specific cases involving:

• Lead paint hazards (A.C.A. § 20-27-608).
• Victims of domestic violence (A.C.A. § 18-16-112).

Outside of these narrow exceptions, there is no general statutory prohibition against a landlord raising rent in response to a tenant exercising their rights.

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