Kemper County Mississippi Landlord-Tenant Law: A Guide for Rental Property Owners in De Kalb and the Rural East
Kemper County sits along Mississippi’s eastern border with Alabama, a stretch of pine-covered hills and river bottomlands that has shaped a rural, agricultural character largely unchanged over generations. The county seat of De Kalb is a compact town where the courthouse, the county government offices, and the few blocks of commercial activity make up the civic center of an otherwise dispersed rural population. For landlords, Kemper County represents a small, stable, and deeply local rental market — one governed by Mississippi’s landlord-favorable state law and administered through the Justice Court system.
The Kemper County Economy and Rental Market
Kemper County’s economy has contracted significantly from its mid-century agricultural peak. With a population of roughly 8,600 and a county seat of fewer than 900 people, the rental market here is modest in both scale and price. The largest employment sectors are educational services, healthcare and social assistance, and manufacturing — with agriculture, timber, and public corrections employment rounding out the picture. East Mississippi Community College’s Scooba campus, located in the northern part of the county, is one of the county’s more significant economic anchors, employing faculty and staff and drawing students who occasionally seek off-campus housing in and around Scooba.
Rents for single-family homes in De Kalb and the surrounding county generally range from $450 to $750 per month, with well-maintained properties at the higher end and older rural stock at the low end. The county’s poverty rate is substantial — over a quarter of families fall below the poverty line — which means that income verification and careful screening are not optional procedures but essential risk management tools for any landlord operating here.
Filing Evictions in Kemper County Justice Court
Kemper County is not among Mississippi’s 19 counties with a County Court, so all unlawful entry and detainer (eviction) proceedings are filed in the Kemper County Justice Court, located at Highway 39 & Main Street (P.O. Box 661), De Kalb, MS 39328, phone (601) 743-2793, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Circuit and Chancery Courts, which occupy the main Kemper County Courthouse at P.O. Box 130, De Kalb, are not the venue for eviction actions — always file in Justice Court.
The eviction process begins with written notice. For nonpayment of rent, serve a 3-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate under Miss. Code Ann. § 89-7-27. If the tenant pays all rent owed within the three-day window, the eviction does not proceed. For a lease violation other than nonpayment, a 14-Day Notice to Cure or Vacate is required under § 89-8-13. Once the notice period expires without compliance, file a sworn Complaint for Unlawful Entry and Detainer with the Justice Court clerk. The clerk will schedule a hearing, and the Kemper County Sheriff or a constable will serve the summons. File fees typically run $75 to $100. If the court rules in your favor, the sheriff enforces the Writ of Possession. The entire process, for an uncontested case, generally takes two to eight weeks from filing.
This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed Mississippi attorney or contact Kemper County Justice Court for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: March 2026.
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