Mississippi Prohibits Local Rent Control Ordinances Statewide

Mississippi Code Section 21-17-5(2) prohibits any municipal or county governing authority from adopting any ordinance, rule, or regulation that controls the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential or commercial property. This blanket preemption means landlords statewide may set rent at any level and increase rent at any frequency once a lease term expires, subject only to required notice periods. The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Title 89, Chapter 8, governs notice for terminations and increases on month-to-month tenancies but imposes no cap on rent amounts. No Mississippi city or county may enact rent stabilization, rent caps, or rent freezes.

Any local rent control ordinance is void and unenforceable. Landlords subjected to such ordinances may sue for declaratory and injunctive relief and recover damages and attorney fees.