Real Estate Bookkeeping In Arkansas
Little Rock is where the exemption question arises most directly, since engaging management changes the answer. Northwest Arkansas around Fayetteville has grown fast enough that owners cross the threshold without any moment that feels like a compliance event, which is why unit count belongs at OWNER level in the record. Fort Smith sits on the Oklahoma line, where Arkansas returns on the landlord's initiative and Oklahoma requires the tenant's written demand, so tenant inaction has opposite consequences on each side.
Locate the city nearest to you and select your software below to learn more. Don’t see your city? Schedule a meeting with us to learn more about how REA can help your property management accounting needs.
Arkansas at a glance
- Security deposit return
- 60 calendar days
- Governing statute
- Ark. Code 18-16-305
- Cities we publish
- Little Rock · Fayetteville · Fort Smith
What Arkansas Law Changes About Your Books
Deposit Handling and Trust Requirements
Trust and deposit rules are set state by state, and they change the accounting itself, not just the paperwork around it. A deadline is a ledger requirement: you cannot return a deposit inside a statutory window if the ledger cannot say what is owed.
Security deposits
Arkansas 18-16-305 requires the deposit returned within 60 days of termination of the tenancy and delivery of possession, with any application to unpaid rent and damages itemised in a written notice delivered with the remainder due. For leases entered or renewed after November 2021 the cap is two months' periodic rent.
Trust and segregation
Arkansas is unusual in EXEMPTING a class of landlord entirely: an individual who, with spouse and minor children, owns a small number of dwelling units and does not use paid third-party management. Two consequences follow. Engaging a manager can itself move an owner outside the exemption, and unit count is measured across the family holding rather than per entity, so a multi-LLC structure can still fall outside it. For a management company the exemption is largely academic: once paid management is involved, operate to the statutory standard.
What we do about it
- Deposit liabilities tracked per tenant, so a 60 calendar days deadline is answerable from the ledger
- Trust accounts reconciled three ways, including every beneficiary balance
- Deduction documentation recorded against the correct ledger, not filed separately
- Aging deposits flagged before the statutory window closes
Summary of statutory requirements provided for orientation. It is not legal advice, and local ordinances can impose stricter rules than the state minimum.
Cities We Cover in Arkansas
Market by Market
We work with property managers and investors across all of Arkansas, all 605 cities and towns of it. The markets below are the ones we publish Arkansas-specific detail for. If yours is not listed, the same team and the same Ark. Code 18-16-305 rules still apply.
Little Rock
Arkansas is unusual in exempting a class of landlord from its deposit rules entirely, and the exemption turns on facts about the owner rather than about the property. Whether the rules apply is therefore a question a manager has to answer before anything else.
Bookkeeping by platform
Fayetteville
Northwest Arkansas has grown fast, and growth is what moves owners across Arkansas's exemption boundary. An owner who qualified two years ago may not qualify now, and nothing marks the crossing.
Bookkeeping by platform
Fort Smith
Fort Smith sits on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, and portfolios here frequently hold property on both sides. The two states disagree on the most fundamental question: whether the deposit comes back automatically at all.
Bookkeeping by platform
Select Your Software
We Work Inside Your Platform, From Anywhere in Arkansas
Services Available in This State
Every back-office function below is available on its own or as part of a full monthly close, anywhere in the state.
Experts In All Property Types
Residential, commercial and everything in between. The asset class changes what the books have to prove, and our teams are staffed accordingly.
- Single-Family
- Multifamily
- Student Housing
- Affordable Housing
- Community AssociationsSee the page
- CommercialSee the page
Check Out What Our Clients Have To Say About Us
Property Managers, Investors & Owner Operators
Handed over the whole accounting function
I highly recommend Real Estate Accounting (REA) services from this group. They truly are great and have helped us tremendously at a time we needed it the most. I felt very comfortable giving up all my accounting responsibilities to this team and I'm still glad I made the decision to work with this group. Nothing less than an amazing experience!
Day-to-day financial operations
REA and team have been nothing but excellent helping our firm with its day to day financial needs. Their expertise, professionalism, and timeliness have made our lives so much easier. We foresee a long relationship with REA and team.
Onboarding and responsiveness
Real Estate Accounting truly is a special company. They helped as if they were a part of our company, with the concern and caution as an employee would have, but even more. They quickly ascertained our needs and developed an effective team to help with our accounting needs. They were extremely responsive and always accurate. I would recommend their services to anyone who needs help with their property management accounting.
230+
Property Accountants
30M+
Commercial Sq. Ft.
Up to 50%
Saved vs In-House
Every month
On-Time Close
Property Accounting for Arkansas Portfolios
Schedule a call and we will walk your Arkansas deposit and trust setup, tell you whether it reconciles today, and scope the monthly work.