Mississippi Security Deposit Demand Letter
A free Mississippi security deposit demand letter that follows Mississippi law. Fill in the boxes, check the rules below, then print or copy it. Keep a copy and proof of how you sent it.
What Mississippi law says
| Deposit return deadline | Within 45 days after the tenancy ends, the tenant delivers possession, and the tenant demands return. Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(3) |
|---|---|
| Itemized deductions | Required. To keep any part of the deposit, the landlord must send the tenant a written notice itemizing each amount claimed. The landlord may keep only what is reasonably necessary for unpaid rent, damage the tenant caused beyond ordinary wear and tear, cleaning at the end of the tenancy, or other reasonable and necessary expenses caused by the tenant's default. Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(3) |
| Penalty for withholding | If a landlord keeps a deposit in violation of the statute and without good faith, the landlord can owe damages of up to $200 on top of any actual damages. Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(4) |
| Wear and tear / move-out charges | Using a written, itemized notice, the landlord may claim from the deposit only amounts reasonably necessary to cover unpaid rent, to repair damage caused by the tenant 'exclusive of ordinary wear and tear,' to clean the premises at the end of the tenancy, or for other reasonable and necessary expenses from the tenant's default. These deductions are allowed only if the deposit was made for those purposes. Cleaning is expressly allowed. Wear and tear is not defined, and painting and carpet are not specifically addressed. Source: Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(3) |
Fill in your letter
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To: [landlord or manager name], [landlord address]
From: [your name], former tenant at [rental address]
I moved out and returned the keys on [move-out date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. I gave you my forwarding address in writing on [date you gave your address].
Under Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(3), a landlord must return the deposit, or send an itemized list of lawful deductions, by the deadline set in that law. I have not received [the deposit / an itemized list].
Please send $[amount owed] to [forwarding address] within [number] days of this letter.
If I do not receive it, I plan to file a claim in small claims court and ask for any additional amount allowed by Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-21(4).
Date: [today's date]
Tenant: [your name]
Signature: ____________________
How to send it: use a method you can prove — certified mail with return receipt, or email/text if your lease allows notices that way. Write down the date.
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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.