The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under Ark. Code Sections 18-16-301 to 18-16-305, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 60 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Arkansas generally caps the deposit at 2 months' rent for covered landlords, though smaller landlords can fall outside that cap, and the landlord usually has 60 days to send the refund and itemized deductions.
This dispute type
Painting deductions are usually weakest when the landlord is refreshing the unit for the next tenant, covering faded walls, or addressing minor marks from normal occupancy. In Arkansas, the refund deadline and deduction notice rules still apply even if the landlord claims the walls needed work.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: You can recover up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney's fees