Haskell County Oklahoma Landlord-Tenant Law: Guide for Stigler, Quinton & Southeastern Oklahoma Rental Property Owners
Haskell County occupies the wooded foothills of the Ouachita Mountains in southeastern Oklahoma, where the Sans Bois Mountain ridges rise above the Arkansas River valley and the landscape carries the densely forested, creek-threaded character that distinguishes eastern Oklahoma from the open plains to the west. Named for Charles N. Haskell, Oklahoma’s first governor, the county was created at statehood in 1907 from what had been the Sans Bois County of the Choctaw Nation’s Indian Territory — a piece of the Moshulatubbee District that was one of the Choctaw Nation’s three administrative regions. This Choctaw heritage is not merely historical; the Nation is an active employer and civic presence throughout Haskell County today, and the county’s reservation status under McGirt v. Oklahoma reflects the continuity of Choctaw jurisdiction in this corner of Oklahoma.
The county seat of Stigler, with approximately 2,600 residents, serves as the commercial and governmental center. Quinton, in the county’s northern portion, is the second-significant community. The county’s economy blends timber (both logging and wood products), cattle ranching and row crop agriculture, Choctaw Nation employment, coal heritage (from the Sans Bois coalfields that defined much of the county’s early economic history), and the county government and school district employment that anchors any rural county’s stable employment base. With a county population of approximately 11,561, Haskell County has a modest but real rental market concentrated in Stigler.
The ORLTA in Haskell County
All residential rental relationships in Haskell County are governed by the Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (ORLTA), codified at Oklahoma Statutes Title 41. No local ordinances in Haskell County or Stigler modify the ORLTA. There is no rental licensing requirement and no rent control — Oklahoma has no statewide rent control statute. For nonpayment, a five-day pay-or-quit notice (rent only, no late fees) is required before filing a FED. For other lease violations, a fifteen-day notice to cure or quit is required. Month-to-month tenancies require thirty days’ written notice to terminate. Non-emergency entry requires twenty-four hours’ advance notice. Security deposits have no cap but must be held in an FDIC-insured Oklahoma institution, with the 45-day return clock beginning only after termination, possession delivery, and a written tenant demand. Self-help eviction is prohibited statewide.
Eviction Procedure at the 16th Judicial District Court
FED actions in Haskell County are filed at the Haskell County Courthouse, 202 E. Main St., Stigler, OK 74462, phone (918) 967-3323, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Haskell County is part of Oklahoma’s 16th Judicial District, which also serves Latimer and Le Flore Counties. After the applicable notice period expires without resolution, the landlord files the FED petition, pays the filing fee, and is assigned a hearing date. Oklahoma’s prevailing party attorney fee provision applies throughout — procedural accuracy from notice through judgment matters even in smaller markets.
Choctaw Nation and McGirt Jurisdiction
Haskell County was created from the former Sans Bois County of the Choctaw Nation’s Indian Territory. The entire county lies within the Choctaw Nation’s confirmed reservation territory under McGirt v. Oklahoma and subsequent rulings. The primary immediate impact of McGirt has been on criminal jurisdiction. For routine civil landlord-tenant disputes not involving tribal land status or housing programs, Oklahoma state courts at the Stigler courthouse remain the correct venue for FED proceedings. Landlords whose properties are on Choctaw Nation trust land, or who rent through Nation housing programs, should consult an attorney with federal Indian law experience before assuming standard state court procedures apply in all respects to their situation.
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed Oklahoma attorney or contact the Haskell County District Court at (918) 967-3323 for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: April 2026.
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