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Free Arkansas Background &
Credit Check Authorization Template

Last reviewed September 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Arkansas Background & Credit Check Authorization

This Background & Credit Check Authorization is built with Arkansas as the governing state. These are the Arkansas landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.

Arkansas rules at a glance

Arkansas rules for a Background & Credit Check Authorization
Security deposit limit2 months’ rent (landlords with ≤5 self-managed units are exempt)Ark. Code §§18-16-303, -304
Deposit return60 days, with a written itemization of any deductionsArk. Code §18-16-305
Deposit double damagesWrongfully withholding a deposit exposes a covered landlord to twice the amount withheld plus attorney’s fees (§18-16-306).

Security deposits in Arkansas

Arkansas caps the security deposit at two months’ periodic rent (§18-16-304) and gives landlords 60 days to return it (§18-16-305). But those rules come with an exemption found nowhere else: the entire deposit statute doesn’t apply to a landlord who — together with a spouse and minor children, and entities they control — owns five or fewer dwelling units, unless a third party is paid to manage them, including collecting rent (§18-16-303).

  • Who’s covered — Landlords with six or more units, and any landlord (even with one unit) who uses a paid property manager. Exempt landlords are still bound by whatever deposit terms the lease itself states.
  • What can be deducted — Accrued unpaid rent and damages the landlord suffered because of the tenant’s noncompliance with the lease, itemized in a written notice (§18-16-305).
  • 60-day return — The deposit balance and itemized notice are due within 60 days of the end of the tenancy. Mailing both by first-class mail to the tenant’s last known address satisfies the requirement (§18-16-305(b)).
  • Double damages — A landlord who fails to comply can owe the money due plus twice the amount wrongfully withheld, costs and reasonable attorney’s fees — reduced to costs and the sum withheld if the landlord proves a good-faith dispute over the amount or an error despite reasonable procedures (§18-16-306).

Tenant protections that apply

Arkansas has no general statute barring retaliatory eviction or rent increases, which sets it apart from nearly every other state.

  • Court process required — Possession is recovered through an unlawful-detainer action in court after the required notice (§18-60-304) — landlords should not use lockouts or utility shut-offs to force a tenant out.
  • Deposit double damages — Wrongfully withholding a deposit exposes a covered landlord to twice the amount withheld plus attorney’s fees (§18-16-306).
  • Habitability exit — The 2021 minimum standards are implied by law into every lease entered into or renewed after November 1, 2021 (other than lease-to-purchase agreements), along with the tenant’s right to terminate if a failure isn’t fixed within 30 days after written notice sent by certified mail (§18-17-502).

Arkansas Background & Credit Check Authorization FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Arkansas?

Up to two months’ rent (Ark. Code §18-16-304) — but only if the deposit statute applies to you. A landlord who, with family and controlled entities, owns five or fewer units and manages them without a paid third party is exempt from the deposit rules entirely (§18-16-303).

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Arkansas?

Sixty days after the tenancy ends, with a written itemization of any deductions for unpaid rent or damage (§18-16-305). A wrongful withholding can cost the landlord twice the amount withheld plus attorney’s fees (§18-16-306).

More Arkansas landlord documents

Background & Credit Check Authorization in other states

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