Landlord and Tenant Lawyers in Little Rock

Find the right Tenant attorney in Little Rock, AR

Tenant Law in Arkansas

The relationship between a landlord and tenant in Little Rock, Arkansas can sometimes be a touchy one. Landlords and tenants are not always clear on their respective rights and responsibilities.

Tenants and landlords have many legal rights and responsibilities. In general, these rights don't conflict with one another, as long as both parties are clear about what they are, and act accordingly.

Landlord's Rights in Little Rock, AR

Most obviously, landlords have a right to collect rent from their tenants. When a tenant agrees to pay a landlord a particular amount of money for the right to occupy the landlord's property, a contract is formed. Tenants have to hold up their end of the deal.

Additionally, landlords can bill the tenant for any damage they cause to the unit, whether it was intentional or negligent. The costs of repairs for such damage can be deducted from a tenant's security deposit, but it should be noted that tenants aren't accountable for normal wear and tear, over which they have little control.

Tenant's Rights in Little Rock, AR

At the most basic level, tenants have a basic right to what they're paying for: a habitable living environment. Thus, landlords in Little Rock, Arkansas must ensure that the units they rent to tenants meet some basic standards for human habitation. These requirements vary from state to state, but are often fairly easy to meet. There are no legal standards that rented units be pretty, particularly spacious, or luxurious. They simply have to be fit for human beings to live in them. To be considered "habitable," rented units must have water, electricity, some form of heating (if the local climate necessitates it), and adequate protection from the elements (proper insulation, no roof leaks, windows that close, etc.).

Additionally, tenants have rights to common areas that are free of physical obstructions, as well as serious health and safety hazards. Common areas are the places in apartment buildings and other residential complexes which every tenant can access, and include hallways, stairwells, and fire escapes. In Little Rock, Arkansas, these areas must be kept in a safe condition, at the landlord's expense.

Under federal and Arkansas law, tenants are also entitled to protection against discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, marital status, or gender. Such discrimination can lead to severe civil penalties against the landlord. Landlords further cannot discriminate against tenants based on physical disability, and have to make reasonable accommodations for physically disabled tenants. For example, they have to allow disabled tenants to make minor physical alterations to the unit (at the tenant's expense) to make it more accessible. Now, they don't need to allow the tenants to have the building remodeled. We're just talking about things like installing handrails in the bathroom, and similar things. The landlord can, however, require tenants to restore the apartment to its original condition, at the tenant's expense, once the tenant leaves.

Finally, tenants are legally protected from arbitrary eviction. Landlords typically must have a very good reason to evict a tenant before the lease agreement reaches the end of its term (at this point, they are of course allowed to decline to renew the lease). Of course, if the tenant breaches the lease agreement (such as by failing to pay rent, damaging the property, or violating other reasonable rules the landlord has put in the lease), the landlord, like a party to any other contract, is free to terminate the agreement and evict the breaching tenant.

Can a Little Rock, Arkansas Landlord/Tenant Lawyer Help?

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, chances are that you want to avoid conflict. But if you do end up in a seemingly irresolvable conflict with the other party, a Little Rock, Arkansas attorney can help you protect your rights.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Little Rock

Little Rock is the largest city in the State of Arkansas by any measurement. The City of Little Rock is the most important center of government in Arkansas and acts as the state capital and seat of Pulaski County Government. Today, Little Rock is home to over 700,000 residents who live in the city's 36 diverse neighborhoods.

There are a lot of outstanding museums in Little Rock like the Arkansas Arts Center, William J. Clinton Presidential Center, MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, and the hands-on Arkansas Museum of Discovery to name a few. Little Rock's Arkansas Arboretum is one of the most outstanding examples of native and exotic plans around. The Arkansas Art Center offers a museum school in addition to attractions like Van Gogh and Rembrandt pieces. The global hunger, poverty, and relief organization Heifer International operate their world headquarters from Little Rock.

Some prominent corporations and companies like Dillard's Department Stores, Windstream Communications, Acxiom, Rose Law Firm, and Metropolitan National Bank have headquarters in Little Rock. A number of hospital and renown research facilities make home in town. The largest of those include Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Baptist Health Medical Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and the Arkansas Children's Hospital. Other businesses that have major installations in Little Rock are L'Oreal Paris, Timex, Entergy, Raytheon, Siemens, Kroger, Dassault Falcon Jet, and ATT Mobility.

I suppose it wasn't too shocking for residents when the Brookings Institution ranked Little Rock as the 7th best economy in the United States. It was second best in growth. Don't think rapid expansion has taken a negative toll on Little Rock. It's as gorgeous as ever and even was awarded the title of 2nd cleanest city in America by Forbes Magazine.

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