My sister, a mother of two, has been forced to endure unsafe living conditions due to the lack of rights she possesses as a renter in Arkansas. She has had to live with floors caving in and a water heater that was not repaired promptly, yet she was still expected to pay her rent on time. The landlord even suggested that she should repair the floors herself by buying plywood to cover the missing parts. Without funds for such repairs and under threat of eviction if her rent payment was delayed even by a single day, my sister found herself trapped.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident but reflects the broader issue faced by many renters across Arkansas. According to data from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), more than half of all renters in Arkansas spend over 30% of their income on housing expenses - well above what is considered affordable.

According to ArkansasWorker.com, published August 31st, 2022:

"Tenants commonly report problems like, “mold, roaches, spiders, leaks, gas issues, HVAC issues, foundational issues, as well as sewage and plumbing issues” with one tenant having a spider infestation so bad they had to have their child sleeping somewhere else."

"What does the law say?
For those not familiar, Arkansas is at this time the only state in the U.S. to not adopt the implied warranty of habitability, a law that guarantees tenants minimum living requirements such as water, heat, and sewage. This essentially means that the landlord can rent an apartment “as is” with no law saying they should have to make even basic repairs to critical systems like HVAC or plumbing."

Moreover, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), there are no state laws in Arkansas that require landlords to maintain safe and healthy living conditions for their tenants or provide them with necessary repairs when needed.

This petition seeks immediate action from our state legislators. We demand comprehensive legislation that protects tenants' rights and ensures safe living conditions for all renters in Arkansas. It's time we put an end to these unfair practices and give people like my sister the protection they deserve as tenants.

Please sign this petition today and help us bring about much-needed change!