Arkansas Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (Dual-Track: Civil Unlawful Detainer + Criminal Failure to Vacate)
ARKANSAS THREE-DAY NOTICE TO QUIT
NONPAYMENT — CIVIL UNLAWFUL DETAINER
Civil route only. Despite the legacy metadata label retained for URL compatibility, this document does not combine Arkansas's civil unlawful-detainer notice with a criminal failure-to-vacate notice. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304(3) requires three days' written notice to quit and a written demand for possession after failure or refusal to pay rent when due. It does not create a ten-day combined notice or a statutory right to cure by payment.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Pre-service file review
- Tenant and premises
- Rent default
- Notice to quit and demand for possession
- Voluntary payment or settlement contact
- Landlord signature
- Delivery record
- Civil filing checklist
- Official sources
1. PRE-SERVICE FILE REVIEW
☐ Civil unlawful detainer under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304(3) selected
☐ No criminal warning, misdemeanor threat, or ten-day deadline included
☐ Landlord's present right to possession confirmed
☐ Rent default confirmed against lease and ledger
☐ Full three-day period calculated by Arkansas counsel
☐ Subsidized-housing, bankruptcy, military-service, fair-housing, retaliation, and local requirements reviewed
☐ Delivery method and proof reviewed for the intended circuit court
2. TENANT AND PREMISES
Date of notice: [DATE]
To: [TENANT FULL LEGAL NAME(S)] and all other occupants whose inclusion has been approved by counsel
From: [LANDLORD / PERSON ENTITLED TO POSSESSION]
Premises:
[STREET ADDRESS]
[UNIT]
[CITY], Arkansas [ZIP CODE]
County: [COUNTY]
Rental agreement: [WRITTEN LEASE DATED ___ / ORAL AGREEMENT / OTHER]
3. RENT DEFAULT
You have failed or refused to pay rent when due for the premises.
| Due date | Rental period | Unpaid rent |
|---|---|---|
| [DATE] | [PERIOD] | $[AMOUNT] |
| [DATE] | [PERIOD] | $[AMOUNT] |
| TOTAL UNPAID RENT | $[TOTAL] |
Ledger date: [DATE]
The rent total should not include disputed damages, security-deposit claims, or unrelated charges without Arkansas legal review.
4. NOTICE TO QUIT AND DEMAND FOR POSSESSION
Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304(3), written notice is given that you must quit the premises, and written demand is made that you deliver and surrender possession to the landlord.
You must vacate and deliver possession no later than:
Deadline date: [DATE]
Deadline time: [TIME] ☐ a.m. ☐ p.m.
This deadline must provide the full statutory three-day notice period as calculated from the actual delivery or service facts.
By the deadline, return all keys and access devices to:
Name: [NAME]
Location: [ADDRESS]
Contact: [PHONE / EMAIL]
If you remain in possession after the notice period, the landlord may file a civil unlawful-detainer complaint in the circuit court for the county where the premises are located and ask the court to restore possession through lawful process.
This notice does not authorize a lockout, utility shutoff, removal of occupants or property, or any other self-help eviction.
5. VOLUNTARY PAYMENT OR SETTLEMENT CONTACT
The legal demand in this notice is for possession. If the landlord is willing to discuss payment or another settlement, use the contact below. No discussion, tender, acceptance, or payment plan should be assumed to cancel, extend, or modify the notice unless the result is documented and its legal effect is confirmed by Arkansas counsel.
Contact person: [NAME]
Address / portal: [DETAILS]
Telephone / email: [CONTACT]
Settlement terms, if any: [SEPARATE WRITTEN AGREEMENT / NONE]
6. LANDLORD OR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
Signature: ____________________________________
Date: [DATE]
Printed name: [NAME]
Capacity: [LANDLORD / AGENT / ATTORNEY]
Address: [ADDRESS]
Telephone: [PHONE]
Email: [EMAIL]
7. DELIVERY RECORD
Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304(3) requires written notice and written demand for possession. Confirm the delivery method and proof required by Arkansas law and the intended circuit court before service.
Date delivered / served: [DATE]
Time: [TIME]
Method actually used: [DESCRIBE]
Place / address: [LOCATION]
Person receiving, if applicable: [NAME]
Person delivering / serving: [NAME]
Evidence retained: [ACKNOWLEDGMENT / AFFIDAVIT / PHOTOGRAPH / TRACKING / OTHER]
I certify that this delivery record is true and correct.
Signature: ____________________________________
Date: [DATE]
8. CIVIL FILING CHECKLIST
Do not file until the full notice period has expired and Arkansas counsel confirms every prerequisite.
☐ Correct circuit court and county confirmed
☐ Tenant legal names and premises description confirmed
☐ Notice demands possession and cites the correct nonpayment ground, § 18-60-304(3)
☐ Three-day period expired without surrender of possession
☐ Original notice and delivery proof retained
☐ Lease, ledger, ownership / agency records, and correspondence assembled
☐ Current complaint, affidavit, summons, and writ-of-possession procedure under § 18-60-307 reviewed
☐ Post-filing service will use the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure and clerk-issued documents; this pre-suit delivery record is not substituted for service of the lawsuit
9. OFFICIAL SOURCES
- Arkansas Attorney General, Landlord and Tenant Rights — https://arkansasag.gov/divisions/public-protection/homes/landlord-and-tenant-rights/
- Arkansas General Assembly, Arkansas Law — https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ArkansasLaw
- Arkansas General Assembly, Ark. Code § 18-60-304 text reproduced in official legislative material — https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2005%2FPublic%2FHB1015.pdf
- Arkansas General Assembly, 2023 Act 414 amending § 18-60-307 — https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=414.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R
- Arkansas General Assembly, Code Sections Amended — https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/CodeSectionsAmended
END OF DOCUMENT
About This Template
Landlord-tenant paperwork governs who can stay in a property, on what terms, and what happens when something goes wrong. Leases, notices to quit, security deposit demands, and habitability complaints all have state and often city-specific requirements for timing, content, and service. Getting the paperwork right is what makes an eviction actually succeed or a security deposit actually come back, because judges regularly dismiss cases over small procedural mistakes.
Important Notice
This template is provided for informational purposes. It is not legal advice. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Last updated: July 2026
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