Arkansas's deposit act (§§18-16-301 to -306) comes with a threshold question most guides bury: it doesn't apply to landlords who own five or fewer rental units (unless a third party manages them for a fee). Renting from a small mom-and-pop owner? The lease, not the statute, governs your deposit. From anyone bigger, the framework below applies.
How much can a landlord charge?
Two months' rent, maximum (covered landlords).
The 60-day clock
Within 60 days of termination — among the longest windows in the country, tied with Alabama and West Virginia — the landlord must return the balance with a written itemized list of deductions for unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear and tear. A deposit mailed to the tenant's last known address and unclaimed for 180 days becomes the landlord's — so leave a forwarding address in writing and stay reachable.
The penalty
Wrongful failure to return exposes the landlord to liability for the deposit plus damages of twice the amount wrongfully withheld, with costs and attorney's fees available in the recovery action.
Why Arkansas deposit disputes are documentation disputes
Sixty days of silence, then an itemized list — every line a memory-based claim about a unit vacated two months earlier. Arkansas gives neither side inspection machinery; it gives them a courtroom and whatever they can prove.
SealMove is what you prove it with. Every photo and video is cryptographically sealed the instant it's captured, independently timestamped, and locked with Face ID into a tamper-evident archive. At move-out, your walkthrough lines up room-by-room against the sealed baseline — and either party can send the other a report to review and acknowledge, no app required.