Van Buren is a city in Crawford County, Arkansas, across the Arkansas River from Fort Smith and part of the Fort Smith metropolitan area. Arkansas has no rent control and no city has enacted a rent stabilization ordinance. Arkansas has also not adopted a statutory implied warranty of habitability, making it one of the less tenant-protective states in the country. Crawford County has no additional local tenant protections. Arkansas state law (Ark. Code § 18-16-101 et seq.) and your lease terms govern the landlord-tenant relationship in Van Buren.
Van Buren has no rent control. Arkansas has no statewide rent control law, and no Arkansas city has enacted a rent stabilization ordinance. Landlords in Van Buren may raise rents at lease renewal by any amount without restriction. Month-to-month tenants are entitled to one full rental period of written notice before the landlord can terminate — for monthly leases, this means approximately 30 days' notice (Ark. Code § 18-16-101).
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's tenant protections are limited by national standards. Arkansas has not adopted a statutory implied warranty of habitability — your habitability rights depend primarily on your lease terms and Van Buren's or Crawford County's local housing codes. If your unit has serious conditions such as no heat, plumbing failures, or pest infestation, file a complaint with city code enforcement. Arkansas has limited statutory anti-retaliation protections for tenants, so document all repair requests and communications in writing. Self-help eviction is prohibited — your landlord must go through the court unlawful detainer process to remove you.
Under Ark. Code § 18-16-305, your landlord must return your security deposit within 60 days of the end of your tenancy, along with an itemized written statement of any deductions. If your landlord wrongfully withholds your deposit, you may be entitled to double the amount improperly kept. Document the condition of your unit at move-in and move-out with photos and provide your forwarding address in writing when you vacate to start the 60-day clock.
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.
To evict a Van Buren tenant, the landlord must go through the Arkansas court unlawful detainer process. Month-to-month tenants are entitled to one full rental period's written notice before the landlord can terminate (Ark. Code § 18-16-101). For nonpayment of rent, landlords typically serve a demand for rent before filing in Crawford County District Court. Self-help eviction — changing locks, removing belongings, or cutting off utilities without a court order — is prohibited in Arkansas. You have the right to appear at your hearing and raise defenses.
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.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change — verify current statutes and consult a licensed Arkansas attorney for advice specific to your situation.
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