Mississippi security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Mississippi law behind your request. Download the free PDF or Word template, or fill in your dates and figures below.
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Before sending in Mississippi
Make a dated demand part of the record
Mississippi ties the 45-day period to termination, return of possession and the tenant's demand. Put the demand in writing so its date is demonstrable.
What records should support deductions?
No receipts requirement; only an itemized written notice of amounts claimed.
Make the free template yours.
Choose your situation, then add your figures. No account or payment. Unfilled details stay in brackets for you to edit.
Add names, addresses and sending details
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Read your draft letter
[Your name] [Your current mailing address] [Date] [Landlord or property manager name] [Address designated for notices] SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED RE: Request for return of security deposit - [rental property address] Dear [Landlord]: I vacated the property on [move-out date] and paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21: No later than 45 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, and demand by the tenant - the clock arguably doesn't start until the tenant demands the deposit in writing. REQUEST Please return $[amount requested] of my deposit to the mailing address above. Please explain any deductions you maintain and provide the itemized statement and supporting records required by the applicable law. If the statutory conditions are met, under Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21, retention of my deposit in the absence of good faith exposes you to damages of up to $200 in addition to actual damages, including the full amount wrongfully withheld. Please respond by [response date after any required notice or cure period]. This requested date does not shorten any applicable statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable requirements are satisfied, I intend to pursue the remedies available in justice court. Sincerely, [Your signature] Enclosures: [List the records you are actually attaching.]
Review your dates and the records behind each charge before signing. The free analysis can help you assess disputed deductions and possible additional recovery.
From a blank request to a documented demand
See what your case documents add.
The free editor fills in your facts. The analysis reviews your charges and applicable rules; your paid case documents bring together the letter, damages summary and organized evidence checklist.
One charge, made specific.
Mississippi example: repainting ordinary wall scuffs, $900. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $900 charge for repainting ordinary wall scuffs. Please return that amount.
The free editor lets you add your own reasons and records.
In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Mississippi case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Mississippi sample letter
Fictional Mississippi case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
September 08, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Mississippi rental address]
Dear Daniel Reed (fictional landlord):
I vacated the above rental property on August 01, 2026 and paid a security deposit of $2,000.00. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 (Mississippi Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: No later than 45 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, and demand by the tenant - the clock arguably doesn't start until the tenant demands the deposit in writing.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 for the reasons below. Please provide the records supporting each disputed charge, including the work, cost, and condition at issue. For replacement charges, explain the item's age and how you calculated the amount charged:
• Repainting ordinary wall scuffs - $900.00
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
I do not contest the following deductions, totaling $200.00: Unpaid rent balance ($200.00).
This demand does not cancel any accepted debt. Any separate claim or counterclaim must credit amounts already paid or retained toward that debt.
DEMAND
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
Please deliver payment to the address above no later than September 22, 2026 (14 days from the date of this letter). This requested date does not shorten any statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable notice, service and waiting requirements are satisfied, I intend to file suit in justice court. I have retained dated photographs of the property's condition, the lease, our correspondence, your itemized statement, the repair receipts you provided, and this demand letter.
Sincerely,
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
Enclosures: Evidence exhibit listSend it with a record you can use.
Identify when the tenancy ended, when keys were returned and the amount you request. Ask for an itemized written notice and explain which rent, cleaning or damage charges you dispute.
Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Keep the response and delivery record with your demand. Check each charge against the lease and the statutory grounds for withholding before escalating.
They refund some or all of it
Save the payment record and update what remains disputed. Read any settlement or release before agreeing to it.
They reject the request or explain the deductions
Match each explanation to your lease and condition records. Reply with the specific amounts and reasons still disputed.
The letter comes back or nobody responds
Keep the envelope or tracking record. Check the address and required service method before using the Mississippi filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Mississippi letter refer to?
No later than 45 days after termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, and demand by the tenant - the clock arguably doesn't start until the tenant demands the deposit in writing. No automatic forfeiture is spelled out for missing 45 days; wrongful retention exposes the landlord to the deposit as actual damages plus a capped bad-faith penalty.
What penalties does Mississippi law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
Retention 'with absence of good faith' may subject the landlord to damages not to exceed $200, in addition to actual damages (the withheld deposit) - discretionary and capped, one of the weakest deposit penalties in the country (§ 89-8-21).
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in justice court (limit: $3,500; filing fees about $50-$100 depending on county, service included). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Mississippi filing steps and court forms →