Sources checked:
Quick answer. Mississippi: deposit returned within 45 days; $3,500 small claims limit. 8 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 15 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit back within
- 45 days
- Time to answer or appear
- At the hearing
- Small claims limit
- $3,500
Security deposit (5 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: Miss. Code 89-8-21.
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Not confirmedDeposit limit
Not confirmed — check Mississippi Legislature: 2024 HB 1580 as introduced (brings forward 89-8-21). Not confirmed from official text. Check Miss. Code 89-8-21.
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
No later than 45 days after the tenancy ends (89-8-21(3)); the section ties the count to the tenancy ending, delivery of possession and the tenant's demand.
Source: Mississippi Legislature: 2024 HB 1580 as introduced (brings forward 89-8-21), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
The landlord's written notice claiming any part of the deposit itemizes the amounts claimed (89-8-21(3)).
Source: Mississippi Legislature: 2024 HB 1580 as introduced (brings forward 89-8-21), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedInterest on the deposit
None stated in Miss. Code 89-8-21.
Source: Mississippi Legislature: 2024 HB 1580 as introduced (brings forward 89-8-21), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWhere the deposit is held
Held by the landlord for the tenant; no account type is named (89-8-21(2)).
Source: Mississippi Legislature: 2024 HB 1580 as introduced (brings forward 89-8-21), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
Retention without good faith: damages of up to $200 in addition to actual damages (89-8-21(4)).
Source: Mississippi Legislature: 2024 HB 1580 as introduced (brings forward 89-8-21), checked November 2026
Read from 89-8-21 as brought forward in 2023 and 2024 bills. Confirm against the current Mississippi Code.
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (0 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed. The Mississippi Code isn't published on the Legislature's site in a form we could read. Check Miss. Code Title 89, Chapter 8. | |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed. Check Miss. Code Title 89, Chapter 8. | |
| Rent increase notice | Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed. Check Miss. Code Title 89, Chapter 8. | |
| Unpaid rent notice | Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed. Check Miss. Code Title 89, Chapters 7 and 8. | |
| Entry notice | Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed. Check Miss. Code Title 89, Chapter 8. | |
| Late fee limits | Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed. Check Miss. Code Title 89, Chapter 8. |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (2 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
The unpaid-rent notice period is not confirmed in our files (see the notice table).
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
The county's justice court (the statewide sample summons).
IN THE JUSTICE COURT OF ___________ COUNTY, STATE OF MISSISSIPPI
Source: Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedFiling fee
Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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ConfirmedTime to answer or appear
The tenant is summoned to appear and defend at the date and time on the summons.
You are summoned to appear and defend against the attached complaint at
Source: Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court), checked November 2026
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- Hearing or trial
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Not confirmedHearing after filing
Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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Not confirmedJudgment to writ
Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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Not confirmedWrit to lockout
Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedWho carries out the lockout
Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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Not confirmedPaying to stop the case
Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court). Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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More: Eviction process timeline by state · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$3,500: the most a small claims case can ask for.
Justice Courts hear small claims civil cases of $3,500 or less. There are 82 Justice Courts.
Source: Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts: Justice Court, checked November 2026
More: Mississippi small claims court
Still to confirm
- Deposit limit: check Mississippi Legislature: 2024 HB 1580 as introduced (brings forward 89-8-21)
- Ending month-to-month (landlord): check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Ending month-to-month (tenant): check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Rent increase notice: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Unpaid rent notice: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Entry notice: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Late fee limits: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Filing fee: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Hearing after filing: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Judgment to writ: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Writ to lockout: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Who carries out the lockout: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Paying to stop the case: check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Right to counsel (statewide): check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court)
Mississippi kit
Mississippi Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the Mississippi return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How long does a Mississippi landlord have to return a deposit?
No later than 45 days after the tenancy ends (89-8-21(3)); the section ties the count to the tenancy ending, delivery of possession and the tenant's demand. What goes with it: The landlord's written notice claiming any part of the deposit itemizes the amounts claimed (89-8-21(3)).
How long does an eviction case take in Mississippi?
Time to answer or appear: At the hearing. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
Can a Mississippi deposit dispute go to small claims court?
The small claims limit in our data: $3,500: the most a small claims case can ask for. The court's own page explains what kinds of cases it hears.
How much can a security deposit be in Mississippi?
Not confirmed in our data files. Check Mississippi Legislature: 2024 HB 1580 as introduced (brings forward 89-8-21) (https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2024/html/HB/1500-1599/HB1580IN.htm).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Mississippi?
Not confirmed in our data files. Check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court) (https://www.courts.ms.gov/aoc/courtinterpreter/Translated%20Forms/Sample%20Eviction%20Documents/Residential%20eviction%20summons.pdf).
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Mississippi?
Not confirmed in our data files. Check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court) (https://www.courts.ms.gov/aoc/courtinterpreter/Translated%20Forms/Sample%20Eviction%20Documents/Residential%20eviction%20summons.pdf).
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Mississippi?
Not confirmed in our data files. Check Mississippi Judiciary: Sample Residential Eviction Summons (Justice Court) (https://www.courts.ms.gov/aoc/courtinterpreter/Translated%20Forms/Sample%20Eviction%20Documents/Residential%20eviction%20summons.pdf).
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords