Arkansas Rental Application Form
Are you planning on renting a property in one of the most naturally refreshing states in the country? If so, you’ll need to submit an Arkansas rental application form, a document that formally signifies your interest in the apartment or unit.
The purpose of the application form is for the landlord to gather information about a prospective tenant. The landlord will most likely look into the credit score of the applicant to ensure they can pay rent. In addition, they will also check the applicant’s income.
Another important part of the background check is the eviction record. This is because every landlord wants assurance that they won’t be dealing with a potentially troublesome tenant on their property.
Finally, the landlord will want to check the criminal history of an applicant. It is important to note that a law infraction doesn’t automatically disqualify a prospect from renting. Minor transgressions like a traffic violation should not hinder a person from being considered a tenant. However, if the applicant has a serious criminal record, the landlord also needs to think about the other tenants in a multi-unit building.
Rental Application Fee
There is no statute that limits how much a landlord can collect in rental application fees. It is important to note that rental application fees are non-refundable. The landlords collect them because the background check is usually done by a third party. If a third party isn’t engaged, the landlord will use the fee to cover administrative costs.
There should be a uniform rental application fee for all applicants, as it is against the law to discriminate. In fact, landlords cannot approve or reject an application based on the applicant’s race, religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, and familial status, according to the Federal Fair Housing Act.
Security Deposits
Arkansas law states that landlords cannot ask for security deposits that exceed the equivalent of two months’ rent. However, this is only applicable to landlords who have more than five properties. For those who have fewer than five rental properties, the law only states that they should charge a “reasonable” security deposit.
At the end of the tenancy, the landlord has 60 days to return the security deposit to the tenant. However, the landlord can deduct the cost of repairs if damage to the property was found and if there is unpaid rent. The landlord must provide the tenant with the list of fees deducted from the security deposit (AR Code § 18-16-304).