Under Miss. Code § 89-8-21, your landlord had 45 days to return your security deposit or itemize deductions. If they blew that deadline, Mississippi law can make them owe damages plus your fees.
Mississippi's security-deposit statute, Miss. Code § 89-8-21, gives your landlord 45 days after your tenancy ends to either return your full deposit or send you an itemized list of lawful deductions. This is a hard deadline — not a suggestion.
If your landlord let that window pass without returning your money and without a proper written accounting, they have almost certainly violated the statute — and in most states that alone forfeits their right to keep a single dollar.
This is the leverage most renters don't know they have. Under Mississippi law, a landlord who wrongfully withholds a deposit can be liable for actual damages plus up to $200 in damages for bad-faith retention.
Answer a few questions and we'll generate a letter citing Miss. Code § 89-8-21, your exact deadline, and the penalty your landlord now faces — ready to sign and send.
Build my demand letter →Under Miss. Code § 89-8-21, your landlord generally has 45 days after your tenancy ends to return your deposit or provide an itemized statement of any deductions. Missing that deadline usually forfeits their right to keep any of it.
Mississippi law provides for actual damages plus up to $200 in damages for bad-faith retention. For example, you can pursue your full $1,500 back — plus the penalties and fees described above. That exposure is exactly what makes a properly worded demand letter effective.
Usually no. A demand letter that cites Miss. Code § 89-8-21, the 45 days deadline, and the penalty your landlord faces resolves most disputes. If it doesn't, security-deposit cases are common and inexpensive in Mississippi small claims court.
It should state the amount withheld, the date your tenancy ended, the specific statute (Miss. Code § 89-8-21), the return deadline your landlord missed, and the statutory penalty they now risk — then demand payment by a firm date. DepositProtector builds this for you automatically.