Operative Text
23 CAR § 455-619. Provisions for landlords and tenants. (a) Account identification. (1) Each utility shall file with the Arkansas Public Service Commission procedures for identifying accounts where service is provided at an address different from the mailing address of the bill. (2) The procedures may include requiring landlords to identify themselves as landlords and to identify their tenants by name, address, and account number. (3) Without that identification, the utility shall not be required to treat a customer as a tenant unless it has actual knowledge or information that reliably indicates that the person to whom service is provided is a tenant. (b) Suspension procedures. (1) The utility shall not suspend service to an identified account for nonpayment until it sends a suspension notice to the landlord. (2) If no response is received from the landlord within seven (7) days from the mail date, the utility shall take the following actions: (A) Post a suspension notice in conspicuous locations such as near mailboxes, building entrances, exits, and other areas of common usage or mail a suspension notice to all tenants at least fourteen (14) days before suspending service; (B) Wait at least thirty (30) days after the due date of the landlord’s bill before suspending service; and (C) Allow any tenant to apply for service in the tenant’s name if separate metering is feasible. (c) Payment liability. A utility shall not recover from a tenant or condition service to a tenant on the payment of any amounts owed by the landlord to the utility.
Arkansas regulation 23 Ark. Code R. pt. 455 § 455-619 establishes a framework governing how utilities handle accounts where a landlord—rather than the tenant—is the billing customer. Utilities must follow specific notice procedures before suspending service at such properties, including notifying both the landlord and tenants within defined timeframes. Critically, the rule prohibits utilities from holding tenants financially responsible for any unpaid amounts owed by a landlord, and it preserves tenants' ability to apply for service in their own names when separate metering is possible.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under 23 Ark. Code R. pt. 455 § 455-619, landlords who receive utility service billed to their address are generally expected to register themselves and their tenants—including names, addresses, and account numbers—with the utility according to that utility's filed procedures. Compliant operators typically respond promptly to any suspension notices from the utility, since a failure to respond within seven days triggers a countdown that can lead to service being cut off to tenants. Keeping tenant information current with the utility and addressing overdue balances before the thirty-day post-due-date window closes are practices consistent with the obligations this provision contemplates.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 455-619 of 23 Ark. Code R. pt. 455 provides meaningful protections for tenants when a landlord's utility account falls into nonpayment: utilities must post or mail suspension notices to tenants at least fourteen days before any shutoff, giving tenants advance warning. The rule also explicitly bars utilities from requiring tenants to pay a landlord's outstanding balance as a condition of receiving or continuing service. Tenants who believe a utility is violating these protections—such as by demanding payment of a landlord's debt or failing to provide required notice—may consider filing a complaint with the Arkansas Public Service Commission or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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