Is the Landlord Liable for a Tenant's Dog Bite in Mississippi?

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Owning the building is not owning the dog. Landlord liability turns on what the landlord knew and what the landlord controlled.

The general rule

Mississippi has no dog bite statute, so landlord claims rest on negligence. In most states a landlord may be liable only if it had knowledge of the dog's danger and enough control over the premises or the dog, such as the ability to have it confined or removed.

Mississippi practice

Mississippi plaintiff firms report that landlords and property owners may be liable when they knew a tenant's dog was dangerous and failed to act, or when the bite happened in a common area such as a hallway, stairwell or shared yard. We did not locate a Mississippi appellate decision squarely on landlord liability, so treat this as the general common-law rule.

Common areas matter

Courts treat a known dangerous animal that roams areas outside the tenant's exclusive control, such as parking lots and hallways, like any other dangerous condition on the landlord's property.

Inside the leased unit

Where the landlord has given the tenant full possession, the landlord generally lacks control inside the unit, and the tenant, as the dog's owner, is the one responsible.

The owner still pays

Whatever happens with a landlord claim, the dog's owner remains the main defendant, subject to the one-bite rule and negligence.

Official sources

• Miss. Code § 11-7-15 — contributory negligence

This is general information, not legal advice, and the state comparisons above are illustrative, not an exhaustive survey. Confirm how Mississippi's rules apply to your specific case with a licensed Mississippi attorney.