Can Landlords Ban Pets in Arkansas? What Renters Need to Know

Arkansas gives landlords more freedom over pet policies than many renters expect, and that surprises people who assume federal law guarantees a right to keep animals in a rental home. Can landlords ban pets in Arkansas? In most cases, yes — but the answer changes depending on the type of animal, the city you live in, and how your lease is written.

Before you sign a lease or bring home a new companion, it helps to know exactly where Arkansas law draws the line between a landlord’s private property rights and a tenant’s protections. This guide walks through what landlords can restrict, what federal law forces them to allow, and what your options look like if a “no pets” policy stands between you and your dog, cat, or something more exotic.

Can a Landlord Legally Ban Pets in Arkansas

Arkansas landlords generally have wide latitude to decide whether pets are allowed on their property at all. The Arkansas Residential Landlord-Tenant Act of 2007 doesn’t micromanage pet policies the way some states do. You get to decide the following — meaning the landlord, not the state, sets the rules on whether animals are welcome.

Unlike some states, Arkansas does not have extensive laws specifically regulating pet rent or deposits. Instead, landlords have the right to decide whether to allow pets, how to structure pet-related fees, and how to enforce lease agreements. This discretion extends to a flat no-pets rule for the entire property, a full ban on certain species, or a policy that only permits cats or small dogs under a weight limit.

The inclusion or exclusion of pets is generally at the discretion of the landlord, but must comply with applicable laws and regulations. That last part matters — because while a landlord can refuse a pet goldfish tank or an aquarium of hermit crabs without breaking any law, they cannot apply that same blanket refusal to a legally protected assistance animal, which the next section covers in detail. It’s also worth noting that “no pets” often extends beyond cats and dogs to reptiles, birds, and other exotic pets legal in Arkansas, so always ask specifically about the species you own rather than assuming a policy only targets dogs.

Pro Tip: Ask for the property’s pet policy in writing before you apply. A verbal “we’re flexible” from a leasing agent means nothing once the written lease says otherwise.

Exceptions: Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals in Arkansas

Federal law overrides any no-pets policy when it comes to service animals and emotional support animals (ESAs). The federal Fair Housing Act serves as the primary legal shield for emotional support animal owners in Arkansas. Under this act, housing providers must grant reasonable accommodations to individuals with a documented, disability-related need for an assistance animal. Even if an apartment complex strictly enforces a no-pet policy, they must make a legal exception for a valid emotional support animal.

Landlords also lose most of their usual pricing leverage once an animal qualifies as an assistance animal. Housing providers are strictly prohibited from charging pet rent, pet deposits, or extra application fees for an assistance animal, as these animals are legally not classified as pets. In Arkansas, landlords can charge a pet deposit, except for service dogs and emotional support animals.

Breed, size, and weight restrictions disappear too. Landlords cannot enforce general breed, size, or weight restrictions on an emotional support animal — a property manager cannot deny your accommodation simply because your dog is a breed typically banned by the building’s insurance policy.

Arkansas has also added its own layer of rules through recent state legislation aimed at reducing ESA letter fraud. According to an overview of ESA housing laws in Arkansas, the state now requires a minimum 30-day relationship with a licensed mental health provider before that provider can issue a valid ESA letter, and it raises penalties for companies that sell fake documentation. That protection cuts both ways — it makes fraudulent ESA claims harder to pull off, but it also means a legitimate letter from a qualified Arkansas provider carries real legal weight.

None of this makes an assistance animal untouchable if it causes real problems. If a service animal or ESA becomes a nuisance, is aggressive, or causes excessive property damage, the landlord may take legal action to remove it—but must follow Arkansas’ standard eviction process. A landlord cannot simply confiscate the animal or lock a tenant out; they still have to go through the same legal channels used for any other lease dispute.

Important Note: This article explains general Arkansas rental law and is not legal advice. If you believe a landlord is denying a legitimate assistance animal request, consider consulting a housing attorney or filing a complaint with HUD.

Breed and Size Restrictions in Arkansas

Outside of protected assistance animals, Arkansas landlords have broad power to restrict which pets they’ll accept. Landlords can impose restrictions on the breed, size, or number of pets allowed, and these policies can include restrictions on the type, size, and number of pets allowed. A lease might cap you at two pets, exclude dogs over 40 pounds, or list specific breeds it won’t accept regardless of the individual animal’s temperament.

State lawmakers have actually tried to strip this kind of authority away from local governments, without success. In 2023, a bill filed in the Arkansas legislature was aimed at prohibiting municipalities from enacting breed-specific regulations for animals. The measure, HB 1519, was defeated in a 34-45 vote in the state House. That failure left breed-specific rules — and by extension, the ability of landlords and cities alike to restrict certain breeds — fully intact across Arkansas.

Landlords frequently mirror local breed ordinances or their insurer’s restricted-breed list when writing lease terms, which is one reason “no pit bulls” or “no aggressive breeds” clauses show up so often in Arkansas rental agreements. Landlords also commonly restrict exotic and unusual pets that fall outside typical breed categories altogether. A renter who keeps a ball python (Python regius), for example, may find that a lease’s “no pets” clause is written broadly enough to cover reptiles, not just cats and dogs — so it pays to check the exact wording before assuming an exotic pet is exempt from a landlord’s policy.

Key Insight: A landlord’s breed restriction and a city’s breed ordinance are two separate things. Even if your lease allows a certain dog, your city’s animal control code might not — and vice versa.

Pet Deposits, Pet Rent, and Fee Limits in Arkansas

Arkansas landlords can charge for the privilege of renting with a pet, but the total amount they collect is capped by state security deposit law. Landlords in Arkansas are permitted to request and collect a pet deposit from their tenants. However, the total security deposit amount, including any pet fees or deposits, cannot exceed the legal maximum security deposit amount of two months under A.C.A. § 18-16-304. That cap applies whether the money is labeled a “security deposit,” a “damage deposit,” or a “pet deposit” — Arkansas law treats them all as part of the same pool.

It helps to understand the difference between a deposit and a fee, since Arkansas treats them differently. It’s important to distinguish between a pet deposit and pet fees. While deposits are usually refundable, pet fees are not, as they serve as compensation for the privilege of having a pet on the premises. Typically, pet deposits range from $200 to $500, though the exact figure depends on the property and the type of pet.

Charge Type	Refundable?	Counts Toward 2-Month Deposit Cap?
Pet Deposit	Yes, minus documented damage	Yes
Pet Fee	No	No — separate nonrefundable charge
Monthly Pet Rent	No (ongoing charge)	No — billed separately from deposit

Arkansas does not prohibit nonrefundable cleaning fees or pet fees, which is why many Arkansas leases include a one-time nonrefundable pet fee on top of a refundable deposit. Landlords can also add ongoing charges: this law does not prevent landlords from adding a monthly pet premium. That monthly “pet rent” sits outside the deposit cap entirely, since it’s an ongoing rent adjustment rather than a one-time security payment.

Not every Arkansas landlord is bound by the same deposit rules. Some landlords that own five or fewer units are exempt from the security deposit rules if the landlord does not use a management service to rent out units, including rent collection services. That exemption is worth checking if you’re renting from an individual owner rather than a property management company.

Whatever a landlord collects, they owe it back promptly once you move out. Arkansas landlords must itemize withdrawals from (if any) and return all remaining security deposit within 60 days after the end of the tenancy and the tenant has handed over possession of the rental to the landlord. And as covered earlier, the law prohibits landlords from charging renters with disabilities who use a service animal an extra deposit — a tenant with a service animal does not have to pay the cost of a pet deposit.

What Happens If You Keep a Pet Without Permission in Arkansas

Keeping an unauthorized pet is treated the same as any other lease violation under Arkansas law, and the consequences move fast. When an Arkansas tenant violates a term of the lease—such as having a pet in violation of a no-pets policy—the landlord must give the tenant a 14-day notice to cure (fix the problem) or quit (move out). “Cure” typically means removing the pet or rehoming it within that window.

If you don’t act within those 14 days, the situation escalates quickly. If the tenant doesn’t fix the problem or move out within those 14 days, the landlord can file an unlawful detainer lawsuit. Tenants can face eviction if they violate pet policies set in the lease agreement, and an eviction filing on your rental history can make it significantly harder to qualify for housing later, even if the case is eventually resolved.

Unauthorized pets also expose you to financial risk beyond eviction. If a hidden pet causes damage, the landlord can pursue you for repair costs beyond whatever deposit is on file, and in Arkansas, small claims court handles disputes up to $5,000, which should cover most pet-related damage scenarios. Landlords who go this route typically need photo evidence and repair receipts to win, but that’s cold comfort if you’re the one facing the bill. Certain species also carry a higher risk of triggering a violation notice or insurance issue — a quick read through a list of the worst animals to keep as pets in rental settings can save you a costly dispute before it starts.

Common Mistake: Assuming a landlord “won’t notice” a small pet. Maintenance visits, neighbor complaints, and even pest control appointments routinely reveal undisclosed pets — and the 14-day clock starts the moment the landlord finds out.

Local City and County Pet Ordinances in Arkansas

Even when a landlord approves your pet, your city or county might not. Arkansas has no statewide law overriding local breed ordinances, and dozens of municipalities have used that authority. More than thirty-five cities across Arkansas have banned pit bulls, and the specifics vary widely from one town to the next.

• Little Rock: Little Rock has had a breed-specific ordinance in place since 2009 that declares pit bulls “potentially dangerous.”
• North Little Rock: Pit bull dogs are banned, with exceptions for registered AKC show dogs and dogs that are grandfathered in, as long as the owner is 21 years old, has the dog sterilized and vaccinated for rabies, keeps it properly confined, uses a leash, and displays a “Beware of Dog” sign.
• Sherwood: Sherwood has a ban on pit bull breeds following a deadly attack on a nine-year-old boy. In April 2025, Sherwood’s city council revisited the issue and voted to uphold the pit bull ban.
• Cabot: Cabot takes a different approach — pit bulls are declared “potentially dangerous” and may be kept under a permit system with strict conditions.
• Arkadelphia: It is unlawful for any person to keep within the city limits any pit bull dog, except for AKC or UKC registered show dogs as defined and identified by ordinance.

State legislators have tried more than once to strip cities of this power and failed each time, which means local pit bull laws in Arkansas remain firmly in the hands of individual municipalities rather than the state government. If you’re moving to a new Arkansas city with a specific breed or exotic pet, it’s worth checking the municipal code directly rather than relying on your landlord’s lease alone — a landlord’s approval doesn’t override a city ordinance, and a violation can result in the animal being seized.

This matters for more than dogs. Renters keeping less conventional animals — from native snakes found in Arkansas to pet-trade reptiles and arachnids like the spiders found across the state — should confirm both landlord policy and local exotic-pet ordinances before bringing an animal home, since city rules on venomous or non-native species can be stricter than anything in a standard lease.

Your Options If a Landlord Won’t Allow Pets in Arkansas

A firm “no pets” policy isn’t necessarily the end of the conversation. Because Arkansas gives landlords this much discretion, your best leverage is usually negotiation rather than a legal claim — unless your animal qualifies as a service animal or ESA, in which case federal protections discussed earlier apply regardless of the property’s stated policy.

1. Ask about a pet addendum. Some landlords who advertise “no pets” will still consider a one-off exception for a well-behaved, older, or smaller animal if you offer a higher deposit or references from a previous landlord.
2. Offer pet rent or a larger deposit. Since Arkansas law allows monthly pet premiums on top of the standard deposit cap, proposing this yourself can turn a flat “no” into a “yes, for a price.”
3. Provide a pet resume. Vet records, proof of spay/neuter, and a landlord reference letter reassure property owners who are worried about damage or noise complaints.
4. Confirm your ESA or service animal eligibility. If your need is genuine and properly documented under Arkansas’s 30-day provider relationship requirement, the landlord’s no-pets policy legally does not apply to you.
5. Consider a pet better suited to strict properties. If flexibility isn’t on the table, some renters shift toward pets that are easier to get approved, such as low-maintenance pets that don’t fall under typical breed or size restrictions.

Households with kids often have the most luck steering the conversation toward smaller companions. Options like rabbit breeds kept as pets or other low-maintenance pets for kids tend to raise fewer red flags for landlords worried about property damage or noise. Renters drawn to something more unusual sometimes find better luck with contained, low-risk species — a look at chameleons kept as pets or the range of crabs suitable for pet ownership shows how many low-impact options exist outside the traditional cat-or-dog framework landlords usually picture.

If negotiation fails and you genuinely need a pet-friendly unit, it may simply be time to look elsewhere. When you do relocate with an animal already in your household, plan the move carefully — resources on keeping pets safe when flying them to a new home cover the logistics of transporting an animal to a new pet-friendly rental without added stress on either of you.

Pro Tip: Get any pet exception in writing as a signed addendum to your lease, not just an email or text. Verbal or informal approvals are difficult to enforce if a new property manager takes over.

Arkansas’s landlord-friendly approach to pet policy means the state won’t force a property owner to accept your pet just because you want one. What it does guarantee is a fair process: clear deposit limits, a defined eviction procedure if something goes wrong, and firm federal protection for tenants who rely on a service animal or emotional support animal. Knowing which category your situation falls into — and reading your lease and local ordinance carefully — puts you in a much stronger position before you ever sign on the dotted line.