Gulfport, MS Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Heat supply season
- Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 (year-round)
- Governing code
- 2018 Intl. Property Maintenance Code, amended
- Civil fine
- $250 per violation, each day separate
- Housing code
- Standard Housing Code, 1994 Edition, adopted
- Enforcing agency
- Department of Urban Development
Summary
Gulfport amended the International Property Maintenance Code so rental units and occupiable workspaces must have a heat supply available year-round, from January 1 through December 31, rather than only during a shorter cold-weather season. The Department of Urban Development enforces the standard citywide under the adopted 2018 code.
Section 602.3. Heat supply. Insert "January 1" and "December 31" ... Section 602.4. Occupiable work spaces. Insert "January 1" and "December 31"
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
4 (Occupiable work spaces) of the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code by inserting "January 1" and "December 31" into each section, fixing the period during which a rental dwelling's heating system and occupiable workspaces must meet the code's minimum conditions as the entire calendar year rather than a limited season. This sits alongside Section 3-2, which separately adopts the Standard Housing Code, 1994 Edition, by reference as the city's baseline housing-standards code, with appeals from housing-code decisions running first to the building official or housing board of adjustment and appeals, and from there to the Mayor and City Council under Section 3-3.
1, with each additional day counted separately. 2, heard by the Chief Administrative Officer or a designee, with further appeal to the City Council available for a $50 filing fee within ten days.
Violations & Fines
Failing to supply heat under Section 602.3 or maintain occupiable workspace conditions under Section 602.4 is a Property Maintenance Code violation, treated as strict liability under Section 106.3. The city can assess a $250 civil fine per violation under Section 106.4.1, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense, and appeals go to a hearing officer within seven days, then to the City Council with a $50 filing fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must my Gulfport landlord provide heat in the winter?
What if my rental unit's workspace or common area isn't properly maintained?
How do I report a habitability problem in Gulfport?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gulfport
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