Little Rock, AR Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual inspection rate
- 20% of registered rental units
- Governing section
- Sec. 8-581, Little Rock Code
- New-construction exemption
- 5 years from certificate of occupancy
- Life-safety fix deadline
- 7 days from notice
- Other-violation fix deadline
- 30 to 60 days from notice
Summary
Little Rock inspects at least 20% of all registered rental units every year through a systematic, random program, not just in response to tenant complaints.
Systematic and random inspection of twenty (20) percent of the total number of registered rental units shall occur annually. In doing so: (a)The City of Little Rock shall use the total registered rental units annually as selected by the city manager, or designee, and shall, to the extent possible, include an inspection proportionally of the various categories of rental units.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 8-581 of the Little Rock Code, the Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs runs a systematic and random inspection program covering at least 20 percent of all registered rental units annually, with proportional coverage across unit categories; multi-building rental complexes are sampled at a minimum of 20 percent per building, at least one unit each. Newly-constructed rental facilities are exempt from this random sweep for their first five years after receiving a certificate of occupancy, unless a complaint or an apparent health or safety violation triggers an inspection anyway. A unit that fails must correct life-safety violations within 7 days and other violations within 30 to 60 days, or the city can suspend the certificate of compliance, condemn the unit, or terminate utilities under Sec. 8-577 and Sec. 8-579.
Violations & Fines
Blocking a scheduled inspection or missing repair deadlines can trigger a notice-to-comply, suspension or revocation of the certificate of compliance, utility termination, condemnation, and prosecution under Sec. 1-9, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Little Rock inspect rental units even without a tenant complaint?
Are new rental buildings exempt from the random inspection sweep?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Little Rock
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