A Mississippi Rental Application is a document that landlords use to screen renters before entering into a lease agreement. Specifically, you can use the data in a completed rental application to perform criminal background checks, reference checks, credit checks, and more. These investigations can show you whether a prospective tenant is reliable and safe.
Laws
- Application Fee – Non-refundable
- Application Fee Limits – No limits
- Security Deposit – No limits
Application Fees
In Mississippi, there’s no set limit for rental application fees. Landlords typically charge about $30 to $40, an amount meant to cover the application processing costs. Since there’s no specific law regulating this, landlords are free to set any fee. The fees paid by tenants are non-refundable.
Fair Housing Protections
It is unlawful to engage in discriminatory practices based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. These prohibitions include [1] :
- Refusing to rent or sell housing
- Declining to negotiate for housing
- Making housing unavailable or denying a dwelling
- Imposing different sale or rental terms and conditions
- Offering differing housing services or facilities
- Incorrectly stating that housing is not available for inspection, sale, or rental
- Engaging in blockbusting for profit
- Denying access to, or membership in, housing-related services or facilities
Security Deposits
In Mississippi, the law on the amount landlords can charge for security deposits does not have a statutory limit set by the state. Landlords have the freedom to determine the security deposit amount, which is usually one to two months’ rent, as stated in the lease agreement.
As for handling the security deposit, the law does not specifically mandate that the deposit must be kept in a separate account. However, landlords are required to return the deposit within 45 days after the end of the lease, provided the tenant has complied with the lease terms and left no damages beyond normal wear and tear [2] .
Pet Deposits
Mississippi does not have any state statutes governing pet deposits. Accordingly, landlords may ask for pet deposits to cover any potential property damage caused by a pet.
However, federal law entitles people who use service and emotional support animals to full and equal access to housing. As such, landlords can not require tenants to pay extra for service and emotional support animals.
Sample
Click below to access a sample rental application form that you can use to screen potential tenants in Mississippi.
