Mississippi Rental Application

What information should landlords collect?

Renting out a property in the birthplace of the blues starts with a thorough rental application. This form is your first step in getting to know a potential tenant.

Using a free rental application template helps you stay organized and review applications anytime, anywhere. Online forms with built-in questions remove guesswork and make it easier to choose the right tenant.

A typical rental application asks for:

• Personal and contact information: Names of all applicants (including co-applicants and/or co-signers), Social Security numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contacts
• Financial details: Employment status, credit history, and income information to assess whether the applicant meets income requirements
• Rental history: Addresses and lease terms for past and current residences
• References: Employer information to verify employment and income, along with rental references from past landlords
• Pet information: Number of pets, along with type and size, and whether any are Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) or service animals
• Household details: Number of occupants, vehicle information, and smoking status

Rental application forms collect sensitive information, and both federal and Mississippi state laws govern how landlords handle it.

We’ll discuss the legal guidelines all Mississippi landlords need to know as we review pre-screeners, Mississippi residential rental application laws, pets, the denial process, and more.

Pre-Screener 

If you’re not using a pre-screener yet, now is the time to start. This tool helps landlords quickly filter renter leads and focus on applicants who meet their basic criteria before sending the full application.

This process can help you identify renters with the best potential, but it shouldn’t replace your standard rental application.

A pre-screener should ask for:

• Contact information,
• Household size,
• Employment and income,
• Self-reported credit score,
• Desired move-in date, and
• Pets, vehicles, and smoking status.

If the information from the pre-screener meets your standards, you can confidently send out a fillable rental application form to your interested party.

Federal Application Laws 

Whether you’re renting out a shotgun-style house in Indianola or an Antebellum home in Vicksburg, you’ll need to follow federal application laws. Here are all the nationwide regulations you need to know to keep your rental application process legally compliant in 2026:

Fair Housing Act (FHA): Landlords, property managers, and employees responsible for selecting renters can’t deny housing or discriminate based on:

• Race,
• Color,
• National origin,
• Religion,
• Sex,
• Familial status, or
• Disability.

Screening parties can’t ask questions about these protected characteristics, use discriminatory advertising, or offer unequal rental terms (42 U.S.C. §§ 3601–3619).

Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): Landlords can’t discriminate against applicants who have received public assistance of any kind. The ECOA outlines how landlords assess credit reports and provides guidelines for reporting to rental applicants (15 U.S.C. §§ 1691–1691f).

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The ADA requires landlords to accommodate renters with disabilities and prohibits them from denying housing based on disability status (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101–12213).

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Under the FCRA, landlords must obtain an applicant’s written consent before conducting a credit check and send an adverse action notice if they deny the applicant based on credit history (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.).

Civil Rights Act of 1866: Landlords must treat all applicants equally and can’t discriminate based on race or color (42 U.S.C. § 1981).

Mississippi Application Laws 

Mississippi is known for Southern hospitality, comfort food, and a slower pace of life, but landlords still need to understand state landlord-tenant laws, including MS Code § 43-33-723.

Source of income: Landlords in Mississippi can legally deny an applicant based on their source of income.

Criminal & eviction history: Landlords can consider criminal and eviction history when selecting a tenant.

Age & children: Under Mississippi law, landlords can’t discriminate against applicants based on their age or whether they have children (MS Code § 43-33-723).

Portable tenant screening reports: Mississippi allows landlords to accept portable tenant screening reports, but does not force landlords to use them.

Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals 

From Natchez to Tupelo, Mississippi, landlords want to know exactly what animals will be living on their property. Including clear questions about pets and assistance animals in the application helps avoid surprises and sets expectations from the get-go.

Pet information: Ask whether the applicant has a pet, an emotional support animal (ESA), or a service animal. Then collect details such as type, breed, and size for your records.

Fair Housing Act: Landlords cannot deny housing to a person with an ESA or service animal, or restrict them based on breed, size, or weight. They also cannot charge pet fees, deposits, or pet rent for these animals.

Tenants, however, remain responsible for any damage caused by their animals.

Denial Process

As of 2026, Mississippi landlords can legally deny applicants based on insufficient income, poor credit, a poor rental history, a criminal background, or incomplete or false information. Landlords must handle denials consistently for all applicants. Here’s everything else landlords need to know about the denial process:

Denial notice: Mississippi law does not require landlords to provide a denial notice for every application.

Credit/Background denials: Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, landlords must send applicants an adverse action notice if they deny them based on credit or background information. This notice must state the reporting agency’s name and contact information, as well as the applicant’s right to dispute errors (15 U.S.C. § 1681m).

Document storage: Mississippi law does not specify how long landlords must keep application records, but keeping screening reports and applications is a smart move. These records can help defend against potential discrimination claims.