Jacksonville is a city in Pulaski County, northeast of Little Rock and neighboring the Little Rock Air Force Base. The city has a significant military-connected renter population. All Jacksonville renters are governed by Arkansas's landlord-tenant statutes at Ark. Code §§ 18-16-101 through 18-16-310. Arkansas has not adopted the URLTA and has no statutory implied warranty of habitability, meaning your repair rights depend on your lease and local housing codes rather than state law.
Arkansas has no rent control, and Jacksonville has enacted no local tenant-protection ordinances. The key statutory protections available to Jacksonville renters are the security deposit return requirement (60 days, with double-damages for violations under Ark. Code § 18-16-305) and the prohibition on self-help eviction. Military tenants may also have additional federal protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), including the right to terminate a lease early upon deployment or permanent change of station orders.
Contact the Center for Arkansas Legal Services or Legal Aid of Arkansas if you are facing eviction, a deposit dispute, or a habitability problem. Military tenants can also seek assistance through the Legal Assistance Office at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Jacksonville has no rent control or rent stabilization ordinance, and Arkansas has no statewide rent control law. Landlords in Jacksonville may set rents at any level and raise them at the end of a lease term without limitation. No state agency or local board limits or reviews rent increases in Arkansas.
For month-to-month tenants, Arkansas law requires at least one full rental period of written notice before the landlord can change lease terms or terminate the tenancy (Ark. Code § 18-16-101). For monthly tenants, this means approximately 30 days' written notice. Fixed-term leases lock in the rent for the lease period unless the lease allows mid-term changes.
Military personnel in Jacksonville should be aware that the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) provides certain federal protections, including the right to terminate a lease with 30 days' notice upon deployment or permanent change of station, regardless of the lease term. Contact the Legal Assistance Office at Little Rock Air Force Base or the Center for Arkansas Legal Services for more information on SCRA rights.
In 2025, Arkansas enacted Act 459, which bars local governments from regulating the amount of any rental application fee or rental deposit on private residential or commercial property — reinforcing the state's existing preemption of local rent and rental-cost controls (Act 459 of 2025).
Arkansas does not have a statutory implied warranty of habitability for residential rentals. Your repair rights as a Jacksonville tenant depend primarily on your lease and whether the city of Jacksonville has a housing code that covers your rental unit. Filing a complaint with Jacksonville's code enforcement office is frequently the most effective way to compel a landlord to make necessary repairs when the lease is silent.
Arkansas's most important statutory tenant protection is the security deposit statute (Ark. Code § 18-16-305), which requires return of the deposit within 60 days and imposes a double-damages penalty for wrongful withholding. The state also prohibits self-help eviction: landlords must obtain a court judgment before removing a tenant, and changing locks or shutting off utilities without a court order is unlawful.
Arkansas has limited statutory retaliation protections. There is no statutory presumption of retaliation or burden-shifting provision in the landlord-tenant statute. If your landlord takes adverse action after you report a code violation or exercise a legal right, document all communications carefully and consult the Center for Arkansas Legal Services as soon as possible to assess your options.
Under Ark. Code § 18-16-305, Jacksonville landlords must return your security deposit — together with a written, itemized statement of any deductions — within 60 days after you vacate the rental unit. Provide a written forwarding address to your landlord at move-out to ensure timely delivery and to start the 60-day period clearly.
Your landlord may only deduct for unpaid rent and damages exceeding normal wear and tear. Normal wear and tear — minor wall scuffs, small nail holes, routine carpet wear from everyday use — cannot legally be deducted from your deposit. Protect yourself by taking dated photographs of every room at move-in and move-out, and request a written condition checklist at the start of your tenancy.
If your landlord fails to return the deposit or itemized statement within 60 days, you are entitled to twice the amount wrongfully withheld (Ark. Code § 18-16-305(b)). Send a certified mail demand letter first. If the landlord does not respond, file a claim in Pulaski County District Court's small claims division. The Center for Arkansas Legal Services can help you prepare your case.
Who the cap and deadline cover: These statutory rules apply to landlords who rent six or more dwelling units. For those landlords, the security deposit may not exceed two months' rent (Ark. Code § 18-16-304). Landlords who own five or fewer dwelling units that they manage themselves are exempt from the statutory cap and the return-deadline requirement (Ark. Code § 18-16-303), so for those rentals the deposit amount and any refund timeline are governed by the lease.
Jacksonville landlords must follow Arkansas's unlawful detainer process to remove a tenant. For nonpayment of rent, the landlord must first provide written notice allowing an opportunity to pay before filing in Pulaski County District Court. For terminating a month-to-month tenancy, one full rental period's written notice is required (Ark. Code § 18-16-101). After notice, the landlord files an unlawful detainer complaint and you are served with a court summons.
You have the right to appear at your eviction hearing. Effective defenses include proof of rent payment, improper notice, habitability failures, or landlord retaliation. Arkansas courts schedule eviction hearings promptly — contact the Center for Arkansas Legal Services or Legal Aid of Arkansas immediately upon receiving any eviction notice or court summons. Military personnel should also contact the Legal Assistance Office at Little Rock Air Force Base.
Arkansas prohibits self-help eviction. A landlord who changes your locks, removes your belongings, or disconnects your utilities without a court order is acting unlawfully. If a self-help eviction is attempted, call Jacksonville police and contact the Center for Arkansas Legal Services immediately. You may be entitled to monetary damages for the unlawful act.
Nonpayment notice periods: Arkansas offers landlords three separate routes for nonpayment of rent, each with its own notice. A civil unlawful detainer action requires a 3-day written notice to quit (Ark. Code § 18-60-304(3)); a criminal failure-to-vacate charge requires a 10-day written notice (Ark. Code § 18-16-101); and, where the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act applies, a landlord may terminate the tenancy if rent remains unpaid 5 days after the due date (Ark. Code § 18-17-701). The 3-day notice to quit is a demand to vacate, not a cure period that lets you pay and stay.
Jacksonville and Pulaski County tenants — including military families — can access the following resources:
For habitability complaints, contact Jacksonville's code enforcement office through City Hall. The Arkansas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division (arkansasag.gov) accepts landlord misconduct complaints.
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Arkansas landlord-tenant law does not include a statutory warranty of habitability, and rights vary based on lease terms. Military tenants may have additional rights under federal law. Always consult a licensed Arkansas attorney or the Center for Arkansas Legal Services for advice specific to your situation.
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