As someone who has lived in Arkansas for 28 years and been renting in the state for 7, I find the lack of protection on renters and tenants to be terrifying.  Arkansas is one of a few states that dont have any requirement for landlords. The last polling in 2017 suggests that 34.5% of Arkansans rent or lease. Without laws to protect them, they could be forced to live in a roach infested, squaller of a home. They can be kicked out, for any reason, at any time. This must stop. 

I propose a series of laws that would require upkeep of properties and ensure basic protections for those of us who live in this situation.

1. State laws that would require landlords to maintain the property to a reasonable, pest controlled, standard set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.

2. A set of basic renter's rights, that allow them to live in basic safety and comfort.  These should include:

The right for a renter to refuse entry of the property. ( nothing in our current legislature dictates that a police officer cannot simply get the landlords permission to enter, you have no say in it)

The right for a tenant to rent at the same price every year, which would require landlords to provide notice, legitimate reasoning for the change in rent, actionable and observable measurement of the stated change. 

3. Protection for landlords from those who would abuse the afformentioned entry and Maintance laws.

4. Requirements for eviction to be set forth in a reasonable and understandable manner.  Reccomended that eviction notice give 30 days instead of the normal 10. 

The basic goal of these proposed laws is to give renters the same legal rights as a homeowner, protection against arbitrary increase in rent, and reasonable accomadations due to the nature of renting vs owning, while also not putting undue burden on landlords from those that would destroy their property and force the landlord to pocket the damages.