Loophole Allows Arkansas Landlords To Rent Apartments Without Providing Heat, Working Plumbing or Hot Water

In Arkansas, renters could be subjected to homes with basic utilities, like heat, working plumbing or hot water – and it’s all perfectly legal.

Unless specifically spelled out in the rent, the landlord has no legal responsibility to provide these essentials.

Renters who withhold rent because of substandard housing or use it to make necessary repairs on their own are subject to criminal prosecution, and reporting dangerous code violations could open them up to retaliatory evictions.

The situation often leads low-income renters with little recourse.

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