An Arkansas Tenant Notice to Vacate is the written 30 days notice a tenant gives a landlord to end a periodic tenancy under Arkansas Code § 18-17-704. It identifies the rental unit, sets the last day of tenancy, provides a forwarding address for the security deposit, and creates the documentary record that protects you if the move-out is later disputed. The form on this page handles the statutory content automatically — you fill in the blanks, the PDF generates a clean, signature-ready notice, and you deliver it to your landlord.

In Arkansas, a tenant ends a month-to-month tenancy by written notice given at least thirty days before the termination date specified in the notice, and a week-to-week tenancy by written notice at least seven days before that date (Ark. Code § 18-17-704). Under Ark. Code § 18-16-305, the landlord must then return the deposit, or deliver a written itemization of unpaid rent and damages withheld together with the remainder, within sixty days after the tenancy ends and you deliver possession.

What this form does and when to use it

The Arkansas Tenant Notice to Vacate is a written notice from the tenant to the landlord ending a periodic (typically month-to-month) tenancy under Arkansas Code § 18-17-704. It serves three purposes at once: it gives the landlord the statutorily required 30 days’ notice that the tenancy will end, it specifies the last day of tenancy so rent obligations stop on a defined date, and it provides the forwarding address where the landlord should send the deposit (the 60-day return period under Ark. Code § 18-16-305 runs from termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession, not from the address). Without a properly written and delivered notice, a tenant who simply moves out remains exposed to claims for additional rent and may have a harder time recovering the security deposit.

Use this notice when you have a periodic tenancy — month-to-month is the most common form, but the same rule applies to week-to-week or other periodic arrangements (with a corresponding shorter notice period for terms shorter than a month). The 30 days notice applies regardless of how long you have lived in the unit. Many states impose longer notice obligations on landlords than on tenants — those longer landlord rules do not flow back to tenants. As a tenant on a periodic tenancy in Arkansas, you give at least 30 days’ notice for a month-to-month tenancy under Ark. Code § 18-17-704(b), or at least seven days for a week-to-week tenancy under § 18-17-704(a).

This is not the right form for a fixed-term lease. If you have a lease with a defined end date and you intend to leave at the natural end of the term, the lease itself sets the end date — although it is good practice to send a written notice anyway to confirm your intent and give the landlord your forwarding address. If you want to leave a fixed-term lease early, the 30 days notice does not apply: you need either a lease provision authorizing early termination, the landlord’s written agreement to release you, or a statutory ground (uninhabitable conditions under Ark. Code § 18-17-502, or military deployment under federal SCRA at 50 U.S.C. § 3955). Sending a § 18-17-704 notice on a fixed-term lease without one of those grounds typically does not end your rent liability under Arkansas law.

Related Resources

• Arkansas lease termination laws
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• Arkansas breaking lease laws
• Arkansas landlord tenant laws
• Arkansas habitability laws
• Lease termination laws by state

Arkansas statute and legal authority

The tenant’s right to terminate a periodic tenancy in Arkansas is set out in Arkansas Code § 18-17-704. The statute generally provides that a periodic tenancy is renewed at the end of each rental period unless one of the parties gives written notice to the other of an intention to terminate. The minimum notice period is 30 days for a month-to-month tenancy under § 18-17-704(b), and 7 days for a week-to-week tenancy under § 18-17-704(a). The notice may typically be given on any day of the rental period — there is no requirement that it line up with the start of a calendar month, although some leases impose an end-of-period requirement that should be checked.

Ark. Code § 18-17-704 requires the notice to be in writing and to clearly state the date the tenancy will terminate. Beyond those minimums, courts generally hold that the writing must be clear enough that a reasonable landlord understands the tenant intends to end the tenancy on a definite date. Ambiguous statements (“I’m thinking about moving”) or conditional statements (“I’ll move if I find a place”) do not satisfy the statute. The form on this page produces unambiguous statutory language.

Ark. Code § 18-16-305 governs what happens to the security deposit after the tenancy ends. The landlord typically has 60 calendar days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession to either return the full deposit or provide an itemized statement of any lawful deductions along with the balance. Section 18-16-305(a)(2) states the lawful deductions as two heads, not the four-category list some states use: accrued unpaid rent, and any damages the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant’s noncompliance with the rental agreement — all as itemized by the landlord in a written notice delivered to the tenant. A written forwarding address from the tenant — which the form on this page builds in — helps make sure the landlord’s first-class mailing under § 18-16-305(b)(1) reaches you; the 60-day period itself runs from termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession.

Arkansas has no general statutory anti-retaliation provision, so giving notice is not a statutorily protected activity (Ark. Code § 18-16-112 protects victims of domestic abuse from landlord retaliation). What limits move-out deductions is the deposit statute itself: § 18-16-305(a)(2) allows only accrued unpaid rent and damages from the tenant’s noncompliance with the rental agreement, itemized in writing. If the deposit return is unreasonably delayed or the deductions appear retaliatory or made in bad faith, document the timeline and consider small claims action — under Ark. Code § 18-16-306(a)(1) a tenant may recover the money due plus damages of two times the amount wrongfully withheld, costs and reasonable attorney’s fees, but under § 18-16-306(a)(2) the landlord owes only costs and the sum erroneously withheld if it shows a bona fide error or a good-faith dispute over the amount.

Step-by-step: writing your notice to vacate

Follow these steps in order. Each one corresponds to a required field on the form below.

Step 1: Confirm your tenancy is periodic, not fixed-term

Pull out your lease. If it has no end date, or it expired and you simply continued paying month-to-month, you have a periodic tenancy and Ark. Code § 18-17-704 applies — give 30 days’ notice using this form. If your lease has a defined end date and is still within the term, this notice is not the right tool unless you have a separate ground for early termination.

Step 2: Choose your last day of tenancy

Add 30 calendar days to the date you will deliver the notice. The tenancy ends at the close of that 30th day. The last day does not have to be the end of a calendar month — Ark. Code § 18-17-704 typically allows mid-period termination, with rent pro-rated through the last day of tenancy. Use the calculator below to compute the exact date. (Always check your lease — some leases impose end-of-period requirements that override the default.)

Step 3: List every named tenant

Include every adult tenant who signed the lease. Each tenant has an independent obligation under the lease, and a notice on behalf of one cotenant does not necessarily end the tenancy for others. If only one of two cotenants intends to leave and the other plans to stay, that is a partial-tenancy issue that this form is not designed for — discuss it with the landlord and consider a written modification of the lease.

Step 4: State the rental address with full precision

Use the address as it appears on the lease, including unit or apartment number, building number, city, and ZIP. Imprecise addresses cause more disputes than people expect, especially in multi-unit buildings.

Step 5: Identify the landlord or property manager

The notice should be addressed to whoever holds the landlord role for purposes of the tenancy — typically the entity named in the lease or the property manager identified on rent-payment instructions. If the lease names a different person from the property manager, address the notice to both to avoid any argument that the wrong party received it.

Step 6: Provide a forwarding address

This is the address where the landlord will mail your security deposit and any itemization. Ark. Code § 18-16-305 typically specifies that without a forwarding address, the landlord may mail to your last known address — often the rental unit you are vacating, which means you may never receive the refund. A clean forwarding address protects the refund; the 60-day period itself runs from termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession.

Step 7: Ask for a pre-move-out walkthrough

Even where state law does not require it, ask the landlord for a pre-move-out walkthrough. The landlord walks through the unit, identifies any deficiencies that would otherwise be deducted from the deposit, and gives you a chance to fix them before move-out. This optional step often pays for itself many times over in deposit recovery. The form below includes a checkbox to put the request in writing.

Step 8: Sign and date

The notice must be signed and dated by the tenant. If there are cotenants, every cotenant who is ending the tenancy should sign. The 30-day period is measured from when the notice is given to the landlord, not from the date you sign it.

Required information that makes the notice valid

Ark. Code § 18-17-704 sets a low statutory bar: written notice, given the required number of days in advance, stating the tenant’s intent to terminate. The form on this page goes well beyond the minimum because the bigger risk to a tenant is not technical invalidity — it is the move-out dispute (deductions, deposit return delays, claims for additional rent). Each element below addresses a real-world dispute pattern.

Element	Why it matters
Tenant name(s)	Establishes which tenants are giving notice. If there are cotenants and only some are leaving, the notice should be clear about who is and is not part of the termination.
Rental property address with unit	Identifies the specific tenancy being ended. Imprecise addresses cause more disputes than people expect, especially in multi-unit buildings.
Date of notice	Establishes when the 30-day clock started running. Aligns with the proof of delivery.
Last day of tenancy	The defined date the tenancy ends. This is the rent-stop date and the start of the 60-day security deposit clock under Ark. Code § 18-16-305.
Forwarding address	Tells the landlord where to mail the security deposit and itemization. Without it, mail to the last known address may satisfy Ark. Code § 18-16-305 — meaning you might never see the refund.
Pre-move-out walkthrough request (optional)	Asks the landlord to do a pre-move-out walkthrough and tell you what would be deducted from the deposit. One of the highest-leverage moves for deposit recovery, even where not required by statute.
Tenant signature(s) and date	Authenticates the notice as actually given by the tenant on the date stated.
Landlord/property manager name and address	Clarifies who is being noticed. If the lease names a different person from the property manager, address both to avoid argument.

How to deliver the notice to your landlord

Ark. Code § 18-17-704 requires the notice to be in writing but does not always specify a delivery method. That makes proof of delivery the practical requirement: if the landlord later denies receiving notice, the tenant who has documentary proof prevails. The methods below are listed in order of evidentiary strength.

Move-out timeline and key dates

The full move-out arc — from notice through deposit return — is structured by two clocks: the 30 days notice clock under Ark. Code § 18-17-704 and the 60-day deposit clock under Ark. Code § 18-16-305. Here is the typical sequence.

The clean version of this timeline plays out in roughly 90 days from notice to deposit return. The version that goes wrong adds weeks — disputes over whether the notice was timely, missing forwarding address mail-backs, deductions the tenant disputes. The mitigations are all on the tenant side: deliver with proof, request a pre-move-out walkthrough, document the unit on the way out, and provide a real forwarding address.

Pay rent through the entire 30 days period even if you move out earlier. Returning keys early does not, by itself, end your rent obligation under Ark. Code § 18-17-704. The tenancy ends on the date stated in the notice — earlier physical departure is fine, but the rent runs through the stated end date unless the landlord agrees in writing to release you sooner. (Some landlords will agree to release the tenant once a replacement is found; ask, but get it in writing.)

What happens after the notice period ends

On the last day of tenancy stated in your notice, the tenancy formally terminates. You should surrender possession on or before that date — return all keys, garage remotes, mail keys, and any access cards or fobs. Document the condition of the unit with timestamped photos and video, ideally at the same time you do the move-out walkthrough. Confirm in writing (text is fine for this part) that the keys have been returned and the unit surrendered.

The 60-day security deposit clock under Ark. Code § 18-16-305 starts running from termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession. Within 60 calendar days, the landlord must either return the full deposit or provide an itemized statement of any lawful deductions along with the balance. Under § 18-16-305(a)(2), deductions are limited to accrued unpaid rent (which should be zero if you paid through the notice period) and damages the landlord suffered from the tenant’s noncompliance with the rental agreement, itemized in a written notice. Painting, normal carpet wear, and ordinary cleaning are typically not lawful deductions.

If the deposit and itemization are returned within 60 days and the deductions are reasonable, the move-out is complete. If the landlord misses the deadline or makes deductions that look retaliatory or unfounded, your remedy is a written demand letter followed by small claims court. In Arkansas the tenant’s remedy for a landlord’s failure sits at Ark. Code § 18-16-306 (Remedies) — read that section before pleading a figure, and do not import the multiple-damages rules of other states.

Security deposit return under § 18-16-305

The security deposit is where most tenant move-outs go sideways. The legal framework is straightforward, but enforcement depends on the tenant’s documentation. Build the file from day one of the notice period.

What the landlord must do within 60 days

Ark. Code § 18-16-305(a)(1) requires that, within sixty (60) days of termination of the tenancy, the property or money held by the landlord as security be returned to the tenant. Under § 18-16-305(a)(2) the money may instead be applied to accrued unpaid rent and any damages the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant’s noncompliance with the rental agreement, all as itemized by the landlord in a written notice delivered to the tenant, together with the remainder of the amount due, 60 days after termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession by the tenant. The 60 days are calendar days, not business days. Sixty days is unusually long — many sources quote 30, but the current statute says sixty.

Lawful deductions

Arkansas does not use the four-category list some states do. Section 18-16-305(a)(2) states two heads only: accrued unpaid rent, and any damages which the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant’s noncompliance with the rental agreement — and both must be itemized by the landlord in a written notice delivered to the tenant. Because the second head runs on the rental agreement, what counts as a deductible damage in Arkansas is shaped by what the lease actually obliges the tenant to do. Painting after a long tenancy is generally ordinary wear; deep stains, holes beyond reasonable hanging, and damage from neglect are not.

Pre-move-out walkthrough — your highest-leverage move

Arkansas gives a tenant no statutory right to a pre-move-out inspection — that is a California rule (Civ. Code § 1950.5(f)), not an Arkansas one. But nothing stops you asking, and a landlord has every reason to say yes. Walking through the unit with the landlord before move-out lets the landlord flag anything that would otherwise be deducted from your deposit, and gives you a chance to clean, repair, or replace before you surrender possession. Tenants who do this walkthrough typically recover more of their deposit than tenants who wait until move-out to learn what was charged. A friendly, written request is usually all it takes.

If the landlord does not comply

If the 60 days pass without a deposit, an itemization, or both, send a written demand letter referencing Ark. Code § 18-16-305 and the relevant date of surrender. Note that under § 18-16-305(b)(1) a landlord is deemed to have complied by mailing the written notice and any payment by first class mail to the tenant’s last known address — which is why the forwarding address matters so much. If a demand does not produce a response, file in small claims court (consult the current Arkansas small claims jurisdictional limit before filing). The tenant’s remedy for a landlord’s failure is at Ark. Code § 18-16-306 (Remedies); read that section for what it allows before pleading a figure, and do not assume the multiple-damages rules of other states apply here.

Common mistakes that cost tenants money

Most disputes over tenant move-outs trace back to a small number of recurring mistakes. The pattern is consistent: the tenant has the right under Ark. Code § 18-17-704 and Ark. Code § 18-16-305, but does not have the documentation to enforce it.

Verbal notice or text-only notice

Ark. Code § 18-17-704 requires writing. A verbal conversation, even one the landlord acknowledges in the moment, can be denied later. A text or email may satisfy the writing requirement if the lease expressly allows electronic notice, but the safer course is a paper notice with delivery proof.

Less than the statutory period

Tenants sometimes give shorter notice because they want to coordinate with a new lease. Anything less than 30 days from delivery to the stated end of tenancy leaves the tenant on the hook for additional rent through the full statutory period — even if you’ve already moved out.

No forwarding address

Without a written forwarding address, the landlord may mail the deposit to your last known address — often the unit you just vacated, where you’ll never see the mail. Always include a real forwarding address in the notice itself, and update the post office.

Moving out early without paying through the notice period

You can vacate before the last day of tenancy, but rent runs through that date regardless unless the landlord agrees in writing to release you. Returning keys early does not end the rent obligation. If the landlord does agree to early release, get it in writing and confirm the rent stop date.

Not asking for a pre-move-out walkthrough

A pre-move-out walkthrough is one of the most underused tools tenants have. Whether or not your state requires the landlord to provide one, you can request it. Tenants who walk through with the landlord before move-out often see deductions they could have cured for a few dollars in cleaning supplies. Always request the walkthrough unless you are absolutely certain the unit is in pristine, return-ready condition.

Cleaning too lightly

Arkansas has no statutory “cleanliness at the start of tenancy” standard; cleaning deductions turn on what your rental agreement requires. If you took photos at move-in showing a sparkling unit, that is your best evidence of the unit’s condition. If you didn’t, you’ll have a harder time disputing cleaning deductions. Photograph everything at move-out, including inside cabinets, the oven, the refrigerator, and behind appliances.

Failing to document the move-out

Without timestamped photos and video of every room at move-out, you have no evidence to dispute charges that arrive in the itemization. Photo every wall, floor, ceiling, and appliance. Video walk through narrating what you see. Keep this archive — you may need it months later in small claims court.

Tenant rights during the notice period

Giving notice does not change your status as a tenant. Until the last day of tenancy, you have every right you had before — habitability, quiet enjoyment, freedom from harassment, and the right to be free from self-help eviction. If the landlord changes the locks, shuts off utilities, harasses you to leave early, or attempts to remove your belongings before the last day of tenancy, those acts are illegal in every state and may expose the landlord to statutory damages.

Arkansas has no general statutory anti-retaliation provision, and giving notice is not a statutorily protected activity (Ark. Code § 18-16-112 protects victims of domestic abuse from landlord retaliation). Retaliatory conduct can include refusing to perform repairs, increasing rent, attempting to terminate the tenancy on a different ground, or imposing new restrictions. If the landlord begins acting differently after yo