How eviction works step by step, and what defenses you have at each stage
This page covers the eviction process in Arkansas for a residential tenancy — the notices a landlord must serve, the timeline, and what you can do at each stage.
It does not cover commercial leases, or mobile home parks where a separate statute applies. Where a city has its own rules, those may differ from the state statute below.
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701 — 欠租 5 天后房东可终止（随后须 3 天 notice to quit）；违约 14 天通知 + 14 天 cure。全州适用。
阿肯色驱逐走司法驱逐（unlawful detainer，仅法院判决由法警执行）。欠租（18-17-701(b)）：5 天未付即终止权；再依 18-60-304(3) 给 3 天 unconditional quit。违约（18-17-701(a)）：14 天通知 + 14 天 cure。另有独特的刑事 failure-to-vacate（18-16-101）。
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701 ↗Applies when: 欠租
Counted from: 租金到期后
Service: 5 天等待期后，房东终止租约；再给 3 天 unconditional notice to quit。
· 18-17-701(b)：5 天是「未付即终止权」等待期，非 grace period——5 天内付清则终止权不产生。
· 终止后还须 18-60-304(3) 的 3 天 unconditional notice to quit（无 cure，只能搬）。
· AG 指引原话：「unlawful detainer actions require ... three days' written notice to vacate」。
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(b), 18-60-304(3) ↗Applies when: 违约（非欠租）
Counted from: 收到通知后
Service: 书面 14 天通知，注明违约事项；14 天内未纠正则终止。
· 18-17-701(a)：14 天通知 + 14 天 cure；可修复的违约在 14 天内纠正则租约不终止。
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a) ↗Applies when: 刑事 failure-to-vacate（欠租，全美唯一）
Counted from: 欠租后
Service: 10 天书面通知；仍不走则轻罪，每日 $1–$25 罚款、每日独立成罪。
· 18-16-101（Act 159/2017 重新颁行）：欠租即「at once forfeit all right to longer occupy」。
· 10 天书面通知后仍故意不搬 = misdemeanor，每日 $1–$25 罚款，每日为独立罪。
· 切勿忽视任何 10 天 notice to vacate——这是刑事程序，非普通驱逐。
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-16-101 ↗阿肯色禁止自力救济：房东不得换锁、断水电或搬物，仅法院判决由法警执行（18-60-302/303/309）。
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-302, 18-60-303 ↗“「欠租了，我换锁赶你走。」”
阿肯色驱逐只能走 unlawful detainer 法院程序，仅法警依判决执行。擅自换锁构成 forcible entry and detainer，可依 18-60-309 追偿（住宅按每月租金计定损）。
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-309
“「你投诉了，我不租给你了。」”
阿肯色无一般反报复成文法（Residential Landlord-Tenant Act 无报复条款）。仅铅害报复（20-27-608）与公平住房报复（16-123-341、联邦 42 U.S.C. § 3617）受禁。一般维修投诉不构成独立抗辩。
Ark. Code Ann. § 20-27-608; 16-123-341; 42 U.S.C. § 3617
非法自力救济的租客可依 forcible entry and detainer 请求恢复占有，并追偿实际损害、诉讼费与律师费（18-60-309/312）。
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-309, 18-60-312 ↗Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.
| Statute | Last verified | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(b), 18-60-304(3) | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a) | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-16-101 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701, 18-60-304(3) | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307(b) | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-302, 18-60-303 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
| Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-309, 18-60-312 | 2026-10-16 | official text ↗ |
Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.
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5 or 10 or 14 days depending on the grounds, counted from service of the notice. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701
阿肯色禁止自力救济：房东不得换锁、断水电或搬物，仅法院判决由法警执行（18-60-302/303/309）。
The timeline starts only on valid service. 5 天等待期后，房东终止租约；再给 3 天 unconditional notice to quit。