Free Arkansas Notice of Non-Renewal
The written notice Arkansas landlords use to end a periodic tenancy or decline to renew a fixed-term lease. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 sets the notice period: 30 days written notice. Built for Arkansas landlords.
Free Arkansas Notice of Non-Renewal — overview
Notice of Non-Renewal is one of the highest-stakes routine documents in Arkansas landlord-tenant practice. A defective notice — wrong period, improper service, missing required information — cannot support an eviction action, forcing the landlord to start over and pushing recovery of possession back by months. Arkansas non-renewal practice has technical requirements: the notice period is fixed by the rental period under § 18-17-704; the clock starts at delivery; service must follow Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-303; the notice must be in writing with all required elements. The form on this page handles the mechanics correctly; the page itself walks through the analysis step by step.
CA Notice Period
30 days
Authority
§ 18-17-704
Allowed Hours
Business hours
Emergency
No notice required
On this page
An Arkansas Notice of Non-Renewal is the written notice a landlord uses to end a periodic tenancy or to communicate that a fixed-term lease will not be renewed at expiration. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 sets the notice-period requirements: 30 days written notice. Service must follow Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-303. Getting the notice right is high-stakes work: a defective notice cannot support an eviction action, and the landlord must start over with a corrected notice — pushing recovery of possession back by months. The form on this page handles the mechanics; the rest of this guide walks through the requirements.
📅 Notice Period Calculator
Enter the date you’ll deliver the notice. The calculator shows the earliest valid termination date under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704.
Earliest valid termination date
—
✎ Complete Your Arkansas Notice of Non-Renewal
1 · Notice Dates
2 · Tenant & Property
3 · Landlord Contact
📋 Before You Serve — Pre-Send Checklist
What a Notice of Non-Renewal does
An Arkansas Notice of Non-Renewal is the document that ends a residential tenancy without alleging tenant fault. It is the formal communication that the tenancy will not continue past the date specified in the notice. Two distinct scenarios trigger its use: (1) ending a periodic (month-to-month) tenancy, and (2) declining to renew a fixed-term lease at expiration.
The notice is procedurally similar to other Arkansas eviction-related notices, but substantively different. A pay-rent-or-quit notice alleges nonpayment. A cure-or-quit notice alleges a curable lease breach. A notice of non-renewal does not necessarily allege any wrongdoing — it simply ends the tenancy at the end of the notice period.
What the notice accomplishes practically: it establishes the date on which the tenant’s legal right to occupy the premises ends. After that date, if the tenant has not vacated, the landlord may file an unlawful detainer or eviction action to recover possession. The non-renewal notice is the precondition to the eviction action — without it (or with a defective version), the landlord cannot lawfully recover possession of a tenancy that has not otherwise been forfeited.
The form on this page produces a Notice of Non-Renewal that satisfies Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 and complies with Arkansas’s notice-period requirements. The mechanical accuracy of the document is critical: a notice that gets the period wrong, omits required information, or fails proper service is unenforceable, and the landlord must start over.
Arkansas legal framework
Arkansas non-renewal of a residential tenancy operates under several layered sources of law. Three primary frameworks apply to most non-renewal notices in this state.
1. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 — the notice-period statute. This is the primary statute setting the required advance notice for terminating a residential periodic tenancy. Section 18-17-704(a) allows either party to terminate a week-to-week tenancy on at least seven days written notice, and § 18-17-704(b) allows either party to terminate a month-to-month tenancy on at least thirty days written notice. Most residential non-renewals are month-to-month, so the working figure is 30 days written notice. The period runs from the date of delivery to the termination date stated in the notice, not from the date the notice was prepared.
2. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-303 — notice. This is the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act section that governs how notice is given and received; there is no § 18-17-313 in the Arkansas Code. As to a tenant, § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C) provides that notice is received when it is delivered in hand to the tenant, or mailed by registered or certified mail to the place the tenant holds out for receipt of the communication or, in the absence of such a designation, to the tenant’s last known place of residence — and that proof of mailing under that subsection constitutes notice without proof of receipt. Arkansas therefore authorises registered or certified mail on its own. There is no statutory ladder of personal service, then substituted service, then posting for a landlord’s own termination notice. Posting and mailing do appear in Arkansas law, at § 18-17-903, but that section governs service of the court’s order in an eviction proceeding, not the pre-suit notice. Electronic notice (email or text) is not addressed by § 18-17-303 and should not be relied on alone.
3. Implied covenant of quiet enjoyment. Independent of any specific statute, every Arkansas residential lease carries an implied covenant that the tenant will have peaceful, exclusive possession of the premises for the duration of the tenancy. A non-renewal notice that is part of a pattern of harassment, retaliation, or discrimination breaches this covenant and exposes the landlord to claims for damages, attorney’s fees, and equitable relief.
Anti-retaliation protections. Arkansas does not have a strong statutory anti-retaliation framework specific to landlord-tenant relationships. However, federal law (42 U.S.C. § 3617 and related provisions) and common-law principles still prohibit a landlord from retaliating against a tenant for exercising fair-housing rights. A non-renewal that follows protected tenant conduct (fair-housing complaint, code-enforcement contact) can support a federal retaliation claim.
Anti-discrimination protections — federal Fair Housing Act and Arkansas fair housing law. A non-renewal notice that targets a tenant based on a protected class (race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, and source of income in some jurisdictions) violates fair housing law regardless of whether the technical notice-period requirements are met. Disparate-impact analysis can also reach facially neutral policies that disproportionately affect a protected class.
Notice period under § 18-17-704
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 sets the notice period for terminating a residential periodic tenancy in Arkansas. The period is fixed by the rental period, not by how long the tenant has lived there: seven days for a week-to-week tenancy, thirty days for a month-to-month tenancy.
| Tenancy | Required notice | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Month-to-month tenancy | At least 30 days written notice before the termination date stated in the notice | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(b) |
| Week-to-week tenancy | At least 7 days written notice before the termination date stated in the notice | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(a) |
The clock starts at delivery. The notice period runs from the date the tenant has actual or presumed notice — the date of in-hand delivery, or, where the notice is sent by registered or certified mail, the date established by the proof of mailing under § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C)(ii). The notice must specify a termination date that falls at or after the end of the required period. A notice that calculates the date wrong (for example, counting from the date of preparation rather than the date of service) is defective and unenforceable.
Length of occupancy does not change the period. Some states tier the notice period by how long the tenant has cumulatively occupied the unit. Arkansas does not. Section 18-17-704 keys the period to the rental period alone — seven days week-to-week, thirty days month-to-month — so a tenant of ten years and a tenant of ten months on the same month-to-month arrangement get the same thirty days.
Fixed-term leases — non-renewal vs. termination. A fixed-term lease typically expires by its own terms on the last day of the term. If the lease itself requires the landlord to give advance notice of non-renewal, failing to give that notice may convert the tenancy to month-to-month on the same terms. Check the lease before assuming the fixed term simply expires.
The notice cannot be shortened by lease provision. A lease term that purports to authorize less than the statutory notice period is void and unenforceable as to that provision. The tenant can consent to a shorter period at the time the notice is issued, but cannot prospectively waive the § 18-17-704 minimum in advance through a lease.
The notice can be lengthened by lease provision. A lease that requires the landlord to give 90 days notice of non-renewal is enforceable — the landlord must give the longer period the lease specifies. Longer-notice lease provisions are common in larger rental developments and corporate-owned properties.
Authorized delivery methods
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-303 governs how notice is given to and received by a tenant in Arkansas. In-hand delivery works, and so does registered or certified mail on its own — proof of mailing under § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C)(ii) constitutes notice without proof of receipt. The chosen method affects when the notice period begins.
| Method | Procedure | Effective date |
|---|---|---|
| In-hand delivery to the tenant | Hand the notice directly to the tenant. § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C)(i). | Date of delivery — clock starts immediately |
| Registered or certified mail (on its own) | Mail the notice by registered or certified mail to the place the tenant holds out for receipt of communications or, absent that, the tenant’s last known place of residence. § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C)(i). This is a standalone method in Arkansas. | Proof of mailing constitutes notice without proof of receipt — § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C)(ii) |
| Ordinary first-class mail | Not the method the statute names. Section 18-17-303 gives the proof-of-mailing benefit to registered or certified mail; use one of those and keep the receipt. | — |
| Posting on the door | Not a method § 18-17-303 provides for a landlord’s own termination notice. Posting and mailing appear at § 18-17-903, which governs how the court’s order is served in an eviction proceeding. | — |
| Email or text alone | Not addressed by § 18-17-303. Do not rely on it alone, even if the lease purports to authorize electronic service. | — |
In-hand delivery is the cleanest. Whenever practical, deliver the notice personally to the tenant. Document the date, time, and circumstances of delivery — ideally with a witness or photo. In-hand delivery starts the notice clock immediately, eliminating any dispute about when the period began.
If you mail it, mail it the way the statute says. The proof-of-mailing benefit in § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C)(ii) attaches to registered or certified mail. A landlord who drops the notice in the post by ordinary first-class mail gives up the statutory presumption and has to prove receipt the hard way.
Registered or certified mail is the fallback when personal contact is not possible. If the tenant cannot be reached in hand, § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C) lets the landlord mail the notice by registered or certified mail to the place the tenant holds out for receipt of communications or, absent that, the last known place of residence. Keep the receipt: proof of mailing constitutes notice without proof of receipt, so the receipt is the whole of the proof. Posting on the door is not a substitute here — § 18-17-903 allows posting, but only for service of the court’s order once an eviction proceeding is under way.
Document delivery rigorously. Whatever method is used, the landlord should document the date, time, method, and circumstances of delivery. The landlord’s defense in any later challenge to the notice — including in an unlawful detainer or eviction proceeding — depends almost entirely on this documentation. Keep delivery documentation in the property file for the duration of the tenancy plus the applicable statute of limitations.
Required information for the notice
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 does not specify a precise content requirement for non-renewal notices, but settled Arkansas practice and case law establish a minimum set of elements the notice must contain.
| Element | Why it’s required |
|---|---|
| Date of the notice | Establishes the timeline; required for proof of service |
| Names of all tenants | The notice must run against every adult tenant on the lease (or all named occupants if no formal lease) |
| Property address | Identifies the specific premises being terminated |
| Termination date | Must be at least the required period after delivery; specific calendar date |
| Statutory authority | Reference to Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 establishes the legal basis |
| Landlord name and contact | Required for any tenant response or follow-up |
| Signature | Must be signed by the landlord or authorized agent |
| Method of service | Notice itself doesn’t require this, but proof of service should be prepared and retained |
Termination date must be calculated correctly. The date stated in the notice as the termination date must be at least the statutory required number of days after the date of delivery. A notice that says “tenancy terminates X days from the date of this notice” without identifying a specific calendar date creates ambiguity and is on weaker enforcement ground. Pick a specific calendar date and verify the math.
The landlord’s identity must be unambiguous. If a property-management company is serving the notice on behalf of an owner, the notice should make that relationship clear. A notice signed in an ambiguous capacity invites disputes about authority.
Documentation supports the notice. Beyond the notice itself, the landlord should retain a copy of the lease (showing the tenancy duration and terms), a record of delivery (proof of service), and any communications with the tenant about the non-renewal. These documents become evidence if the tenant disputes the notice.
Common mistakes that void the notice
Calculating the notice period from the wrong date
The notice period runs from the date of delivery, not from the date the notice was prepared, signed, or dated. A notice signed on March 1, served on March 15, with a termination date that does not account for the service date as the start of the clock is defective. The miscalculation is one of the most common reasons notices fail in unlawful detainer or eviction proceedings.
Importing another state’s tiered notice period
Several states lengthen the notice period once a tenant has occupied the unit for a year or more. Arkansas does not: § 18-17-704 keys the period to the rental period alone. A landlord who gives 60 days because the tenant is long-established is being generous, not compliant with a longer rule — and a landlord who assumes some tiered rule shortens the period has the analysis backwards.
Using ordinary mail instead of registered or certified mail
Mailing is a perfectly good standalone method in Arkansas — but § 18-17-303(b)(2)(C) names registered or certified mail, and only that mailing carries the statutory rule that proof of mailing constitutes notice without proof of receipt. Ordinary first-class mail throws that away.
Email or text-only delivery
Section 18-17-303 does not name email or text as a method of giving notice to a tenant. Do not rely on electronic delivery alone, even if the lease purports to authorize it — pair it with in-hand delivery or registered or certified mail.
Issuing a non-renewal during a protected period
Arkansas does not have a state-statutory anti-retaliation framework, but federal law and common-law principles still apply. Avoid issuing a non-renewal that follows tenant fair-housing or habitability assertions without a documented legitimate reason. Issuing a non-renewal within the protected period without a documented legitimate reason invites a retaliation claim and shifts the burden of proof to the landlord.
Targeting a tenant in a protected class
Even where the technical notice-period requirements are met, a non-renewal that targets a tenant based on race, religion, national origin, familial status (including pregnancy or having children), disability, source of income, or other protected characteristics under federal and Arkansas fair housing law is illegal. Disparate-impact analysis can also reach facially neutral patterns. A pattern of non-renewals concentrated in one demographic exposes the landlord to fair housing claims.
Failing to identify all tenants on the notice
Every adult tenant named on the lease should be named on the non-renewal notice. A notice that omits one of the named tenants is on weaker ground and may not support an eviction action against the omitted tenant. Some courts also require service on each named tenant individually.
Wrong termination date for the rental period
For periodic tenancies, the termination date should fall at the end of a rental period, not in the middle. A notice that terminates the tenancy mid-month for a month-to-month tenancy may not support an eviction until the end of the next rental period. Arkansas courts vary on how strictly this is enforced, but the safer practice is to align termination with the end of a rental period.
Not retaining a copy of the notice and proof of service
The notice and proof of service are the landlord’s primary evidence in any later eviction proceeding. Failing to retain copies leaves the landlord without the foundation to prove proper notice was given. Maintain the notice, proof of service, and any related communications in the property file.
Tenant remedies for defective notice
An Arkansas tenant who receives a defective non-renewal notice — wrong period, improper service, missing required information, or retaliatory or discriminatory motive — has multiple potential remedies. Understanding these helps landlords appreciate why getting the notice right matters.
Affirmative defense in eviction proceedings
The most common scenario: the landlord serves a defective notice, the tenant does not vacate by the termination date, the landlord files an eviction action, and the tenant raises the defective notice as an affirmative defense. If the defense succeeds, the action is dismissed and the landlord must serve a corrected notice and start over. The tenant typically remains in possession during the do-over and may be entitled to attorney’s fees if the lease has a fees clause.
Anti-retaliation damages
Arkansas does not have a state-statutory retaliation cause of action specific to landlord-tenant. However, federal Fair Housing Act protections (42 U.S.C. § 3617) provide remedies for retaliation tied to fair-housing rights. State common-law contract and tort theories may also support claims based on landlord misconduct that includes retaliatory non-renewal.
Fair housing claims — federal FHA and Arkansas fair housing law
A non-renewal that targets a tenant based on a protected class violates state and federal fair housing law independent of any notice-period issue. Remedies include actual damages, statutory penalties, attorney’s fees, and injunctive relief. HUD accepts complaints; private actions are also available.
Constructive eviction and quiet-enjoyment claims
A non-renewal that is part of a pattern of harassment — repeated baseless notices, threats, illegal entry, utility shutoffs — supports a constructive-eviction claim and a breach of the implied covenant of quiet enjoyment. These claims provide damages independent of the notice itself and can be raised in any eviction action or in a separate civil action.
Bottom line for landlords: the cost of getting a non-renewal notice right is small; the cost of getting it wrong can be substantial. A defective notice typically delays recovery of possession by several months (during the redo plus any eviction proceeding), exposes the landlord to attorney’s fees, and may trigger fair-housing or retaliation claims if the defects suggest bad faith. The form on this page handles the mechanics; the analysis above is the legal context.
Get the full Arkansas landlord-tenant picture
Notice of Non-Renewal is one of the highest-stakes routine documents in Arkansas landlord-tenant practice. Our Arkansas habitability law guide covers the broader framework — and it is not the framework most states have. Arkansas recognises no implied warranty of habitability, provides no repair-and-deduct or rent-withholding remedy, and has no general statutory anti-retaliation provision. The only statutory floor is the implied residential quality standards at Ark. Code § 18-17-502, added by Act 1052 of 2021 for leases entered into or renewed after 1 November 2021.
Read Arkansas habitability lawsArkansas statute reference table
| Statute | Subject | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 | Termination notice for periodic tenancies | At least 30 days written notice (month-to-month); at least 7 days (week-to-week) |
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-303 | Notice — how notice is given to and received by a tenant | In-hand delivery, or registered or certified mail; proof of mailing constitutes notice without proof of receipt |
| 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq. | Fair Housing Act — federal | Federal-level fair housing protections; HUD enforcement |
Arkansas statute citations are to the official code as referenced. Local ordinances may layer additional requirements on top of state law and should be consulted independently.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice do I have to give to non-renew an Arkansas tenancy?
Do I need to give a reason for non-renewing the tenancy?
How do I serve the notice?
What happens if my fixed-term lease expires?
Can a tenant waive the notice period in advance?
What if the tenant has been a long-term resident?
What happens if my notice is defective?
Can I issue a non-renewal in retaliation for a tenant complaint?
Does a non-renewal need to be in writing?
What if my lease specifies a different notice period?
When to consult an attorney
Most Arkansas non-renewals are routine and never need an attorney. If the tenant has raised retaliation or fair-housing claims, the property is in a city with a local just-cause ordinance, the tenancy involves long-term occupants or complicated lease history, or you suspect the tenant may contest the notice, consult an Arkansas landlord-tenant attorney before serving. A clean § 18-17-704 procedure with documented service and contemporaneous file records is the foundation of a defensible non-renewal; an attorney’s review at the right moment is far cheaper than defending a defective notice in eviction proceedings.
Browse Arkansas landlord guides
Published by Tenant Screening Background Check
Established 2004 · 20+ Years · All U.S. States & Territories · Statute-Based · Attorney-Reviewed
A Private Eye Reports™ service trusted by landlords, property managers, and attorneys.
Sources cited on this page
- Ark. Code Ann. §18-17-101 et seq. (the residential landlord-tenant act)
- Ark. Code Ann. §18-17-704 (termination of a periodic tenancy)
- 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq. (federal Fair Housing Act)
- 50 U.S.C. § 3901 et seq. (Servicemembers Civil Relief Act)
This form and the accompanying guidance are provided for general informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Arkansas landlord-tenant law has technical requirements that can change with legislation and case law. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 and related provisions vary in interpretation by jurisdiction and over time. Specific situations — long-term tenancies, fixed-term leases with renewal-notice clauses, retaliation and fair-housing defenses, local ordinance overlays — depend on facts that this general guidance cannot fully address. Always verify current requirements with the Arkansas statute book, applicable local ordinances, or a qualified Arkansas landlord-tenant attorney before relying on this notice in any contested or sensitive situation. Review Arkansas eviction notice laws.
