Lincoln County Mississippi Landlord-Tenant Law: A Complete Guide for Rental Owners in Brookhaven and Southwest Mississippi
Lincoln County sits in the rolling pine-forested terrain of southwest Mississippi, at the intersection of Interstate 55 and U.S. Highway 84 — a crossroads location that has made Brookhaven the natural hub for a multi-county region between Jackson and the Louisiana state line. The county was named for Abraham Lincoln during the Reconstruction era, an unusual tribute in a state where most county names honor Confederate figures, and that distinction underscores the county’s Reconstruction-era origins from portions of Lawrence, Pike, Franklin, Copiah, and Amite counties. Today Brookhaven is a stable, mid-sized small city of just under 12,000 people with a diversified local economy and enough regional draw to support a healthy rental market for a county of its size.
Brookhaven’s Economy: Healthcare, Forestry, and the I-55 Advantage
Lincoln County’s largest employment sector is healthcare and social assistance, anchored by King’s Daughters Medical Center — a regional hospital that serves Lincoln County and several surrounding counties. Healthcare employment is the single most reliable tenant income source in the county: hospital nurses, technicians, and support staff maintain consistent payroll income and typically have strong credit histories. Retail trade and educational services follow as the next largest sectors, with the Brookhaven School District and Lincoln County School District generating teaching and administrative employment. Manufacturing — including timber processing and light industrial production from the county’s substantial forest land base — accounts for a smaller but meaningful share of the workforce.
Lincoln County’s forestry sector is notable: the county’s timber lands generate over $173 million in economic output annually, making forestry a more significant economic driver here than in most of the state outside the piney woods region. Timber company workers — loggers, truck drivers, mill employees — represent a blue-collar workforce segment with relatively stable employment but variable income depending on market conditions and seasonal factors. Verifying annual income from this segment, rather than relying on a single pay stub, gives a more accurate affordability picture.
Interstate 55 is the county’s most significant geographic asset for the rental market. Brookhaven sits roughly 55 miles south of Jackson — close enough for a daily I-55 commute to the state capital’s employment base, particularly for state government, Jackson-area healthcare, and professional services workers who prefer small-city living with lower housing costs. This Jackson commuter dynamic adds real depth to the Brookhaven rental demand pool beyond what strictly local employment would generate.
Copiah-Lincoln Community College and the Wesson Rental Market
Copiah-Lincoln Community College — known regionally as Co-Lin — operates its main campus in Wesson, a small town that straddles the Lincoln-Copiah county line in the southern part of the county. Co-Lin’s enrollment generates modest off-campus rental demand in Wesson and the surrounding area. The college is predominantly a commuter institution drawing students from a multi-county area, which limits the scale of off-campus student housing compared to residential four-year campuses. Still, faculty, staff, and some student households form a small but real rental segment in Wesson. The Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven — a state-funded residential fine arts high school — draws professional faculty and administrative staff who need housing in the Brookhaven market and generally represent stable, employment-based tenant profiles.
Filing Evictions: Lincoln County Justice Court
Lincoln County does not have a County Court. All unlawful entry and detainer (eviction) proceedings are filed in Lincoln County Justice Court, located at 301 S. First Street (also referenced as 224 South 1st Street), Brookhaven, MS 39601. Phone: (601) 835-3445 or (601) 835-3474. Two judges preside: Hon. Ian Smith (Post 1) and Hon. Roger Martin (Post 2). The main Lincoln County Courthouse — housing Circuit Court and Chancery Court — is at 308 S. 2nd Street, Brookhaven, with the Circuit Clerk at (601) 835-3475. Eviction filings go to Justice Court, not the main courthouse.
Begin every eviction with the correct written notice. For nonpayment of rent, a 3-Day Notice to Pay or Vacate is required under Miss. Code Ann. § 89-7-27. Deliver the notice by certified mail, personal service, or delivery to a resident over 13 years of age. If the tenant pays all amounts owed within three days, the eviction stops. For lease violations other than nonpayment, a 14-Day Notice to Cure or Vacate is required under § 89-8-13. After the notice period expires without resolution, file a sworn Complaint for Unlawful Entry and Detainer with the Justice Court clerk. The court schedules a hearing, the Lincoln County Sheriff serves the summons and later enforces any Writ of Possession, and an uncontested case typically resolves in two to eight weeks from filing.
Mississippi imposes no cap on security deposits — collect one to two months’ rent as a standard deposit. Document property condition at move-in with signed photos and a written checklist. The 45-day itemized accounting requirement for deposit returns under § 89-8-21 is enforced — retain all records of deductions with supporting documentation (photos, repair receipts) to defend against any wrongful retention claim.
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed Mississippi attorney or contact Lincoln County Justice Court at (601) 835-3445 for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: March 2026.
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