Little Rock, AR Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Little Rock Code Sec. 8-591
- Effective date
- Leases from November 1, 2021
- Applies to
- A dwelling unit or single-family residence
- Required
- Hot and cold water, electricity, sanitary sewer and plumbing, roof and building envelope, heating and air conditioning
- Timing
- At delivery of possession and throughout the lease term
- Housing code cross-references
- Secs. 8-403, 8-405, 8-407, 8-423
- State backstop
- A.C.A. § 18-17-502
- Penalty basis
- Sec. 1-9 general penalty
Summary
Little Rock Code Sec. 8-591 writes a habitability standard into every residential lease in the city, requiring hot and cold water, electricity, a sanitary sewer and plumbing system, a functioning roof and building envelope, and working heating and air conditioning.
there shall be implied in all leases and rental agreements for residential purposes a requirement that a dwelling unit or single-family residence have ... at the time ... possession is delivered to the tenant ... and throughout the term of the lease agreement: (1) An available source of hot and cold water ... (2) An available source of electricity ... (3) A sanitary sewer system and plumbing ... (4) A functioning roof and building envelope ... (5) A functioning heating and air conditioning system ...
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
Sec. 8-591 does not wait for a lease to promise anything. The standard is implied "in all leases and rental agreements for residential purposes" covering a dwelling unit or single-family residence, so a handshake tenancy or a landlord's own short form carries it whether or not the paperwork mentions condition. Two timing points are written into the text and both matter: the conditions must be met at the time possession is delivered to the tenant, and they must hold throughout the term of the lease agreement.
A unit that is sound on move-in day but loses its water heater or its air conditioning in month six is no longer meeting the standard the section sets. The five listed requirements are an available source of hot and cold water, an available source of electricity, a sanitary sewer system and plumbing, a functioning roof and building envelope, and a functioning heating and air conditioning system. Pest extermination is required as well. § 18-17-502. The standard took effect for leases from November 1, 2021.
Violations & Fines
Violating the implied residential quality standard is punished under the Code's general penalty in Sec. 1-9, and the unit can separately be cited under the housing code sections the standard tracks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to older leases?
My lease says nothing about repairs. Does the standard still apply?
Does the landlord's duty end once I move in?
Who enforces it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Little Rock
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