Mississippi Rental Application Form
Mississippi is a great place to live because of its low cost of living. It also helps that the place is known for its charming Southern hospitality. If you’re thinking of moving to the Magnolia State, you need to know some basics about the Mississippi rental application form. This is a document that a prospective tenant fills out and submits to a landlord to formally show their interest in renting a property.
A rental application form doubles as consent from the tenant. It gives the landlord permission to look into their background. A background check can help a landlord determine if someone can afford to pay rent since it includes income and employment information. The check will also establish if the tenant has had past issues with former landlords since it looks into their eviction record.
To sum up, the background check is essential for landlords because it will furnish them with information about the tenant including their income, credit score, criminal history, and more. This will help the landlord learn basic information about the person who may occupy their property.
Rental Application Fee
There are no laws regarding application fees in Mississippi. This means that Mississippi landlords can collect any amount they choose. Note that some cities may have higher rental application fees, especially if the property is located in more urbanized areas.
However, landlords must charge the same amount to all applicants in order to ensure fair treatment during the application and selection process.
The right to equal opportunity is protected by the Federal Fair Housing Act. Though a landlord can screen and invite multiple applications from interested tenants, the Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from discriminating against applicants based on factors such as skin color, religious beliefs, and more.
The legislation “prohibits discrimination by direct providers of housing, such as landlords and real estate companies… whose discriminatory practices make housing unavailable for persons because of race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability” (Federal Fair Housing Act).
Security Deposits
There is no statute regarding the maximum security deposit amount that Mississippi landlords can charge interested renters. Unlike the rental application fee, security deposits are refundable. However, Mississippi landlords have a maximum of 45 days to return the security deposit, minus deductions for damage to the property and unpaid rent, if applicable (MS Code § 89-8-21).