Mississippi Eviction Laws
Mississippi rules on eviction for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.
Short answer: 3 days. The landlord may give written notice (or email/text, if the tenant agreed in writing to be notified that way) that the rental agreement will end if the rent is not paid within three days. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-13(5)(a)
The rules in Mississippi
| Notice for unpaid rent | 3 days. The landlord may give written notice (or email/text, if the tenant agreed in writing to be notified that way) that the rental agreement will end if the rent is not paid within three days. Wording set by the 2022 SB 2461 (Laws 2022 ch. 501) and unchanged in the 2024 bring-forward text. Under § 89-8-13(5)(b), the judge in a nonpayment eviction must follow the terms of the signed rental agreement. The 3-day notice in § 89-7-27 now applies only to premises that are not dwelling units (nonresidential). Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-13(5)(a) |
|---|---|
| Notice for lease violations | 14 days to cure. The written notice must describe the breach and say the agreement will end on a date at least 14 days after the tenant receives it unless the breach is fixed within a reasonable time of no more than 14 days. If substantially the same breach happens again within 6 months, the agreement can be ended on at least 14 days' written notice with no chance to cure. No notice at all is required for a substantial violation that materially affects health or safety. The same 14-day breach notice is available to a tenant against a landlord who fails to comply (§ 89-8-13(2)–(3)). Notice may go by email or text if the breaching party agreed in writing. |
| Lockouts & utility shutoffs | The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has no express ban on self-help lockouts or utility shutoffs and no damages remedy for them. The Act provides a court eviction process (§§ 89-8-31 to 89-8-39), and only a sheriff or constable may remove the tenant, under a warrant of removal issued after the move-out date. Since 2025, posting the warrant on the door does not count as executing it; law enforcement must remove the occupants. New in 2026: HB 1404 (approved March 25, 2026) makes it a crime to knowingly fail to apply tenant money collected under a lease for utilities to the utility bill within 60 days of receiving the bill. Penalties run from up to 6 months in jail or a $1,000 fine, up to 20 years or a $50,000 fine, depending on the amount, plus restitution. HB 1404 enrolled text: https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/pdf/HB/1400-1499/HB1404SG.pdf. Its approval date comes from the Legislature's 2026 all-measures list. No Mississippi statute was found that expressly prohibits lockouts. Some secondary sites attribute a ban to § 89-7-27, but the official text of § 89-7-27 contains no such ban, and since 2022 that section applies only to nonresidential premises. |
How an eviction case works in Mississippi
Eviction cases are heard in: Justice court, county court, or circuit court ('Court' is defined in § 89-8-7(1)(b)). Most residential evictions are filed in justice court..
- Notice: a 3-day pay-or-terminate notice for nonpayment (§ 89-8-13(5)); a 14-day breach notice (§ 89-8-13(3)); a 30-day or 7-day termination notice for periodic tenancies (§ 89-8-19); or a 3-day holdover notice after a lease expires (§ 89-8-17(2)).
- File a sworn affidavit or complaint stating the facts, the unit address, and any rent or fees owed, with a copy of the breach or termination notice attached (§ 89-8-33).
- A summons is served under the Mississippi Rules of Court. It orders the tenant to vacate or appear and show cause on a named hearing date, and it must include the statutory tenant-rights notice (§ 89-8-35).
- Hearing: a default judgment is entered if the tenant fails to appear. Judgment is also entered for the landlord if the tenant presents no valid defense or counterclaim. Judgments are signed and executed the same business day (§ 89-8-37).
- Judgment of possession: the judge orders the tenant out within 7 days of the judgment, unless emergency or compelling circumstances justify a shorter or longer period. In nonpayment-only cases, a tenant who pays all sums awarded by the move-out date keeps the tenancy (§ 89-8-39(1), (4)).
- After the move-out date, the landlord requests a warrant for removal, which is issued to the sheriff or a constable. Law enforcement must physically remove the occupants; posting the warrant is not enough (§ 89-8-39(2), as amended 2025).
- The tenant gets reasonable access for 72 hours after removal to retrieve property. After that, the landlord may move the remaining property to the curb or another designated spot (§ 89-8-39(3)).
- Appeals follow the applicable Mississippi Rules of Court (§ 89-8-43).
Landlords: how to evict a tenant in Mississippi — steps, costs, timeline and forms.
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Related questions
- Can a landlord evict you without going to court, change the locks or shut off utilities?
- How long does an eviction take?
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before an eviction?
Mississippi vs. neighboring states
| State | Notice for unpaid rent | Notice for lease violations | Lockouts & utility shutoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 3 days. The landlord may give written notice (or email/text, if the tenant agreed in writing to be notified that way) that the rental agreement will end if the rent is not paid within three days. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-13(5)(a) | 14 days to cure. The written notice must describe the breach and say the agreement will end on a date at least 14 days after the tenant receives it unless the breach is fixed within a reasonable time of no more than 14 days. If substantially the same breach happens again within 6 months, the agreement can be ended on at least 14 days' written notice with no chance to cure. No notice at all is required for a substantial violation that materially affects health or safety. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-13(3), 89-8-19(4) | The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has no express ban on self-help lockouts or utility shutoffs and no damages remedy for them. The Act provides a court eviction process (§§ 89-8-31 to 89-8-39), and only a sheriff or constable may remove the tenant, under a warrant of removal issued after the move-out date. Since 2025, posting the warrant on the door does not count as executing it; law enforcement must remove the occupants. New in 2026: HB 1404 (approved March 25, 2026) makes it a crime to knowingly fail to apply tenant money collected under a lease for utilities to the utility bill within 60 days of receiving the bill. Penalties run from up to 6 months in jail or a $1,000 fine, up to 20 years or a $50,000 fine, depending on the amount, plus restitution. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-31, 89-8-39(2) (as amended by Laws 2025, ch. 460); 2026 HB 1404 (Code section not yet assigned in the sources reviewed) |
| Alabama | Written notice to terminate that states the rent and any late fees owed. The rental agreement terminates on a date not less than 7 business days after the tenant receives the notice, unless the tenant pays (cures) within the 7 business days. Ala. Code § 35-9A-421(b) | For a material noncompliance, the landlord gives written notice describing the breach. The rental agreement terminates on a date not less than 7 business days after receipt unless the tenant remedies the breach first. Some acts are noncurable and allow termination on a 7-day notice: illegal drugs, illegal firearm use or discharge, criminal assault on the premises, a repeat of substantially the same breach within 6 months, and intentional misrepresentation of a material fact in the application. Ala. Code § 35-9A-421(a), (d) | Self-help eviction is prohibited. A landlord may not take possession, including by interrupting heat, water, hot water, electricity, gas, or other essential service, except after abandonment or surrender or as the Act permits. A tenant who is unlawfully removed, excluded, or has services cut off may recover possession or terminate the lease. In either case the tenant recovers the greater of up to 3 months' periodic rent or actual damages, plus reasonable attorney's fees. Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-427, 35-9A-407 |
| Arkansas | For a civil unlawful detainer, the landlord must give three days' written notice to vacate before filing. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304 | Three days' written notice to vacate before filing an unlawful detainer, the same as for nonpayment. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304 | Lockouts and other self-help evictions are not allowed. The Arkansas Supreme Court held in Gorman v. Ratliff (1986) that under the forcible entry and detainer law a landlord may not re-enter a rental or carry away a tenant's belongings without first going to court, and that lease clauses allowing self-help are invalid. A tenant who wins can recover costs and damages. No statute specifically addresses utility shutoffs by a landlord. The legal routes to regain possession are unlawful detainer (§§ 18-60-301 et seq., 3 days' written notice) and eviction in district court (§§ 18-17-901 et seq.), with the sheriff executing the writ. Gorman v. Ratliff, 289 Ark. 332, 712 S.W.2d 888 (1986); Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-60-301 et seq., 18-17-901 |
| Louisiana | Written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days from delivery. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are not counted in a period this short, so in practice the tenant gets 5 business days. The lease may waive the notice, and many standard leases do. La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 5059(C)(3); La. R.S. 1:55(E); La. C.C. art. 2704 | Same 5-day written notice to vacate (waivable in the lease) once the lease is dissolved for the breach. No statutory cure period. La. C.C. art. 2686; La. C.C.P. art. 4701 | Self-help eviction is not authorized. A landlord must use the court process (notice to vacate, rule to show cause, judgment, and a warrant executed by the sheriff, constable or marshal). The only exception is a reasonable belief that the tenant abandoned the premises. A landlord who locks out the tenant or removes belongings may be liable for wrongful-eviction damages. La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 4731-4734; La. C.C. art. 2682 |
| Tennessee | 14 days. URLTA counties: written notice that the lease will end unless the rent is paid within 14 days after the tenant receives the notice. The tenant can cure by paying. Notice may be waived only by a waiver in 12-point or larger bold type in the lease, and the 5-day late-fee grace period still applies. Non-URLTA counties: 14 days' notice for rent that is due and in arrears, upon demand. The lease does not end if the tenant pays before the date in the notice. T.C.A. 66-28-505(a)(2), (b); 66-28-201(c); 66-7-109(a) | URLTA counties: (1) a breach that can be fixed by paying money or repairs: 14 days to cure, or the lease ends; (2) any other material breach: termination no less than 14 days after the tenant receives notice; (3) the same breach again within 6 months: 7 days' written notice; (4) violent acts, real and present danger, hazardous or unsanitary conditions, or an unauthorized occupant who refuses to leave: termination 3 days after the tenant receives written notice. Non-URLTA counties: 14 days for damage beyond normal wear and tear (curable) or for violent or dangerous behavior; 30 days for all other lease defaults; 3 days for violent acts, drug-related criminal activity, or dangerous behavior (except tenants who are mentally or physically disabled). T.C.A. 66-28-505(a); 66-28-517(a); 66-7-109(a), (b), (d) | URLTA counties: if a landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant, or willfully cuts essential services required by the lease, the tenant may recover possession or end the lease. In either case the tenant may recover actual damages, punitive damages when appropriate, and reasonable attorney's fees. If the lease ends, the landlord must return all prepaid rent and deposits. All counties: a person may enter and take possession of property only where the law gives a right of entry, and then only peaceably. Entering a home occupied by another and holding it by force, threats or intimidation, removing the occupant's belongings, or entering peaceably and then keeping the occupant out by force or terror is a forcible entry and detainer. Outside URLTA counties, no statute sets a specific damages remedy for a lockout or utility shutoff. T.C.A. 66-28-504; 66-28-517(d); 29-18-101 to 29-18-103 |
More Mississippi rental law
- Mississippi Security Deposit Law
- Mississippi Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Mississippi
- Mississippi Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Mississippi Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Squatters' Rights in Mississippi
- Mississippi Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Mississippi Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Mississippi Landlord Selling the House
- Mississippi Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Mississippi Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Mississippi landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Mississippi
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Mississippi Eviction Laws FAQ
How much notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Mississippi?
3 days. The landlord may give written notice (or email/text, if the tenant agreed in writing to be notified that way) that the rental agreement will end if the rent is not paid within three days. (Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-13(5)(a))
How much notice is required to evict for a lease violation in Mississippi?
14 days to cure. The written notice must describe the breach and say the agreement will end on a date at least 14 days after the tenant receives it unless the breach is fixed within a reasonable time of no more than 14 days. If substantially the same breach happens again within 6 months, the agreement can be ended on at least 14 days' written notice with no chance to cure. No notice at all is required for a substantial violation that materially affects health or safety. (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-13(3), 89-8-19(4))
Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Mississippi?
The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has no express ban on self-help lockouts or utility shutoffs and no damages remedy for them. The Act provides a court eviction process (§§ 89-8-31 to 89-8-39), and only a sheriff or constable may remove the tenant, under a warrant of removal issued after the move-out date. Since 2025, posting the warrant on the door does not count as executing it; law enforcement must remove the occupants. New in 2026: HB 1404 (approved March 25, 2026) makes it a crime to knowingly fail to apply tenant money collected under a lease for utilities to the utility bill within 60 days of receiving the bill. Penalties run from up to 6 months in jail or a $1,000 fine, up to 20 years or a $50,000 fine, depending on the amount, plus restitution. (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-31, 89-8-39(2) (as amended by Laws 2025, ch. 460); 2026 HB 1404 (Code section not yet assigned in the sources reviewed))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.