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Tenant Abandoned Property Laws in Arkansas

In Arkansas, property a tenant leaves in or about the premises when a lease ends, voluntarily or not, is considered abandoned and the landlord may dispose of it as the landlord sees fit.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Arkansas at a glance

Written notice required
No notice step in the statute
Holding period
No holding period
Property is considered abandoned once the lease ends.
After the holding period
Dispose of it as the landlord sees fit
The statute says this is without recourse by the tenant.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Arkansas

Does a landlord in Arkansas have to notify the tenant before disposing of left-behind property?

No notice step in the statute. Written notice required in Arkansas: no notice step in the statute.

How long must a landlord in Arkansas keep a tenant's abandoned property?

Holding period in Arkansas: No holding period. Property is considered abandoned once the lease ends.

What can a landlord in Arkansas do with abandoned property after the waiting period?

After the holding period in Arkansas: Dispose of it as the landlord sees fit. The statute says this is without recourse by the tenant.

Where do the Arkansas tenant abandoned property laws come from?

The rules above come from Ark. Code 18-16-108. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Before treating anything as abandoned, confirm that the tenancy has actually ended. Some statutes define when a unit counts as abandoned, and removing property while a tenant still has a right to possession can expose a landlord to claims for wrongful eviction or conversion.

Keep a written record. Photos or a video of the items, a dated inventory, a copy of any notice sent and proof of how it was delivered make it much easier to show that the required steps were followed if the former tenant later asks for the property or its value.

Store items safely and in a reasonable way during any holding period. Where a statute allows the landlord to charge reasonable moving and storage costs, or to keep sale proceeds to cover those costs, the rules on what may be charged and what happens to any surplus vary, so check the exact text for your state.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.