Free Arkansas Cash for Keys Agreement Template

Last reviewed September 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Arkansas Cash for Keys Agreement

This Cash for Keys Agreement 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 Cash for Keys Agreement
Security deposit limit	2 months’ rent (landlords with ≤5 self-managed units are exempt)Ark. Code §§18-16-303, -304
Deposit return	60 days, with a written itemization of any deductionsArk. Code §18-16-305
Deposit double damages	Wrongfully withholding a deposit exposes a covered landlord to twice the amount withheld plus attorney’s fees (§18-16-306).
Month-to-month termination	30 days’ written noticeArk. Code §18-17-704
Nonpayment eviction notice	3-day written notice to quit before unlawful detainerArk. Code §18-60-304(3)
Nonpayment of rent	If rent isn’t paid within 5 days of the due date, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement (§18-17-701(b)). Before filing an unlawful-detainer action, the landlord serves a 3-day written notice to quit and demand for possession (§18-60-304(3)).

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).

Ending an Arkansas tenancy

Notice to end an Arkansas tenancy with no fixed term (§18-17-704)
Week-to-week	7 days
Month-to-month	30 days

Nonpayment of rent — If rent isn’t paid within 5 days of the due date, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement (§18-17-701(b)). Before filing an unlawful-detainer action, the landlord serves a 3-day written notice to quit and demand for possession (§18-60-304(3)).
Other breaches — For a noncompliance other than rent, written notice specifying the breach gives the tenant 14 days to remedy it before the agreement terminates (§18-17-701(a)).
Holdover — A willful holdover can cost the tenant up to the greater of three months’ rent or twice actual damages, plus reasonable attorney’s fees (§18-17-704(c)).
Military — Servicemembers with qualifying orders can end a lease early under the federal SCRA (50 U.S.C. §3955).

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 Cash for Keys Agreement 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).

How much notice is required to end a month-to-month lease in Arkansas?

Thirty days’ written notice from either party; a week-to-week tenancy needs 7 days (§18-17-704). There’s no separate rent-increase statute, so the same 30 days is the practical minimum to change rent on a month-to-month tenancy.

Cash for Keys Agreement in other states

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