The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under Miss. Code Section 89-8-21, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 45 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Mississippi generally does not impose a statewide deposit cap, but the landlord usually has 45 days after termination of occupancy to send the refund and itemized statement, and wrongful withholding can add a fixed statutory penalty.
This dispute type
Painting deductions are usually weakest when the landlord is refreshing the unit for the next tenant, covering faded walls, or addressing minor marks from normal occupancy. In Mississippi, the refund deadline and deduction notice rules still apply even if the landlord claims the walls needed work.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: You can recover the amount wrongfully withheld plus an additional $200 penalty