Mississippi security deposit law: know your rights.
Understand the return, deduction and notice rules in Mississippi. Check which conditions apply to your rental, then choose your next step.
Your deposit rights in Mississippi
- Return timing
- 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.
- Accounting for deductions
- Any claim on the deposit requires a written notice delivered to the tenant that itemizes the amounts claimed; permitted deductions are unpaid rent, damage beyond ordinary wear, cleaning on termination, and other reasonable default-related expenses.
- Deposit interest
- The state deposit statute does not require interest. Check any additional lease or local rule.
Registry review: August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
Check the type of tenancy, the lease and any local or housing-program rules before relying on the statewide summary.
Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 ↗What starts the return clock?
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.
Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 ↗Check your return timing
Optional estimate from your move-out date. Read the start conditions above before treating that estimate as the return deadline. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
No receipts requirement; only an itemized written notice of amounts claimed.
Match each charge to the work alleged, the lease provision and the records supporting the amount. Keep refunds and charges you accept separate from those you dispute.
Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 ↗What could you recover?
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).
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(4), including applicable notice requirements.
Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $3,500. Filing: ~$50-$100 by county incl. service. The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Mississippi deposit rights
How long does a Mississippi landlord have to return a security deposit?
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.
Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in Mississippi?
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. Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 ↗Understand the possible recovery →What accounting should I ask for in Mississippi?
Any claim on the deposit requires a written notice delivered to the tenant that itemizes the amounts claimed; permitted deductions are unpaid rent, damage beyond ordinary wear, cleaning on termination, and other reasonable default-related expenses. No receipts requirement; only an itemized written notice of amounts claimed.
Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21 ↗