State law guide · Checked November 14, 2026

Mississippi landlord rules: late fees, deposits and rent increases

Mississippi's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act is light on numbers. It sets no late fee cap and no deposit limit, and it is specific about when a deposit must come back. Here is what the Mississippi Code says, with the section for each rule.

Late fees in Mississippi

Limit

None in the statute. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-1 et seq.

Grace period

None in the statute. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-1 et seq.

Other conditions

Late fees count as rent when the rental agreement requires them. The Act defines rent to include any late fees that are required to be paid under the rental agreement. It sets no other conditions on late fees. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-7

Security deposits in Mississippi

Maximum deposit

The statute sets no limit. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21

Return deadline

45 days after the tenancy ends, possession is delivered, and the tenant demands it. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(3)

Itemized deductions

Required, in a written notice delivered to the tenant. The statute gives no separate deadline for the notice. Allowed deductions include unpaid rent, damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, cleaning when the tenancy ends, and other reasonable and necessary expenses caused by the tenant's default. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(3)

Interest

The statute doesn't require it. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21

How it's held

No special account or bond in the statute. The deposit is held by the landlord for the tenant, and the tenant's claim to it comes before the claim of any creditor of the landlord. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(2)

Penalty

Up to $200 in damages, plus actual damages, for keeping a deposit in violation of the section and without good faith. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(4)

Rent increases in Mississippi

Notice to raise rent

No statute sets a notice period for a rent increase. The closest rule covers ending a month-to-month tenancy: written notice at least 30 days before the termination date. Check your lease for its own notice term. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-19(3)

Statewide cap

None in the statute. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-1 et seq.

City rent control

Not allowed without prior legislative approval. A municipality may not regulate, directly or indirectly, the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential property in which it has no property interest. Counties have the same rule. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 21-17-5(2), 19-3-40

This page covers Mississippi state law for ordinary residential rentals. Cities and counties can add their own rules, and subsidized housing and mobile home lots follow different ones. The official Mississippi Code site doesn't offer per-section links, so every citation above points to the code's front page. Look up the section number there.

Questions landlords ask

Free templates you can use in Mississippi

These are plain templates that aren’t tied to one state. Fill in the numbers your statute and lease call for.

• Rent increase letter kit: increase notice, renewal offer, pricing worksheet and delivery log.
• Late rent notice kit: friendly reminder, past-due notice, payment plan and delivery log.
• Security deposit return kit: itemized return letter, wear-and-tear guide and move-out checklist.
• Move-in kit: inspection checklist and deposit receipt, signed by the tenant.
• Rent ledger: running tenant balances and printable statements.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. It summarizes state statutes as read on November 14, 2026; laws change and courts interpret them. Check the current statute (Mississippi Code, title 89, chapter 8) or talk to a local attorney before you act.