Jackson, MS Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Administering office
- Rental Registration Division, Planning and Development Department
- New owner deadline
- 90 days after taking ownership
- Change of information
- Report to the department within 30 days
- Renewal timing
- Apply at least 30 calendar days before certificate expires
- Certificate term
- One year from the date of issue
- Registration fee
- $50.00 per single-family home or per multi-family property
- Late registration penalty
- $250.00 per unit
Summary
Every owner of a rental housing unit in Jackson, Mississippi must register each unit with the Rental Registration Division of the Planning and Development Department, name a local agent, and report any change in the filed information within 30 days. New owners register within 90 days of taking ownership, and no tenant can lawfully occupy a unit once its registration or renewal deadline has passed.
Owners must provide the following information in order to register or renew the registration of rental properties and units: (1) The legal name, physical address and mailing address of the owner of a rental housing unit. Proof of ownership may be required if the information provided differs from Hinds County records; ... (4) The name, address, phone number and email address of an individual local agent authorized to act on behalf of the owner with respect to each of the owner's properties and rental units; ... (b) If there is a change of circumstances that result in a change of information provided by the owner during registration, or renewal registration, the owner must provide such updated information to the department within 30 days of the change. ... (1) A new owner of rental housing units must register with the department within 90 days of taking ownership. ... (e) No owner may permit occupancy of a rental housing unit by a tenant after the deadline for registering that unit or after the deadline for renewing the registration of that unit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55).
Full Breakdown
Article XII of Chapter 26, adopted by Ord. No. 2026-1(6) on December 2, 2025, replaced the earlier rental registration program in its entirety. Section 26-524 sets out what an owner must file. The application needs the owner's legal name, physical address and mailing address, and the department can ask for proof of ownership when the filing differs from Hinds County records. The owner also lists each rental address, the number of units at that address and any individual unit numbers, plus the name, address, phone number and email address of one individual local agent authorized to act for the owner on each property. The owner's privilege license goes on the form if the owner has one, but a missing license does not delay processing. The department can also require any other information it needs to identify the units or to verify compliance with health and safety rules.
Deadlines depend on who is registering. A new owner of existing rental units has 90 days from taking ownership and must register every unit even if the prior owner already did. Owners of newly built units, or of dwellings never rented before, must register before renting. Everyone else had to register unregistered units on or before October 11, 2025. A property manager or other managing agent can register or renew every unit under management without the owner filing separately.
After registration the department inspects: one unit for owners with five or fewer units, and no more than 20 percent of units for larger owners, with at least 14 calendar days of written notice. Units that pass receive a certificate of compliance good for one year. Renewal applications and renewal fees are due at least 30 calendar days before the certificate expires, and timely renewal is the owner's responsibility.
Fees under section 26-527 are $50.00 per single-family registration (capped at $2,000.00 per owner) and $50.00 per multi-family property, with inspection fees of $50.00 per single-family unit inspected and $25.00 per multi-family unit inspected. Government and housing authority units, institutional dormitories, and units in federal, state or local subsidy programs that already face inspections are exempt under section 26-523.
Violations & Fines
Section 26-528 sets a $250.00 penalty per unit for failing to register by the deadline and another $250.00 per unit for failing to renew on time. Allowing a tenant to occupy a unit without a certificate of compliance costs $500.00 per unit. An owner who knowingly files false ownership or operating information and fails to correct it after notice faces a fine of up to $1,000.00, and each further day of delay counts as a separate offense. Property maintenance code penalties apply on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to register a rental unit in Jackson?
How soon must a new landlord register after buying a rental?
What happens if my contact or ownership information changes?
Can a tenant stay in a unit while registration is pending?
How does an owner appeal a denied certificate of compliance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
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