Arkansas Rental Application

The Arkansas Rental Application is a document issued by landlords to screen persons that are interested in renting a vacant residential property. Once completed by a prospective tenant, the landlord will go through the form and make a sound judgment as to whether the applicant would make a worthy renter. Landlords are only allowed to make decisions off of conditions included in the form – things such as the applicant’s gender or race should be completely ignored during the screening process.

State Laws

Maximum Application Fee: None, as per Arkansas law.

Security Deposits (§ 18-16-304): The amount a landlord can charge for a security deposit is capped at two (2) months’ rent.

Screening Criteria

The form screens the applicant over a wide range of topics. They are as follows:

• Tenant Info: Required for both contacting the tenant and running a variety of background checks.
• Employment Information: Needed to ensure the applicant has the financial capacity to pay for rent. Landlords should have minimum income in place prior to screening tenants. This ensures they give a fair, consistent process to all applicants.
• Renting History: Used for building a complete picture of the applicant’s past and to identify any warning signs of poor tenant behavior.
• Credit History: A poor credit history can signal a tenant that has a poor track record for making timely payments. It should be used as a strong determinant in whether the candidate is accepted or not.
• References: Requires both credit and bank references. Strong recommendations are some of the best indicators of a worthy applicant.

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