Regulation of Hotels and Innkeepers

Miss. Code Ann. tit. 41, ch. 49
in effect

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-49-1 Chapter to be enforced by State Board of Health.

It shall be the duty of the Mississippi State Board of Health to enforce the provisions of this chapter. In order to discharge its powers and duties under this statute, the board may promulgate such rules and regulations as are reasonable and necessary.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-49-3 “Hotel” defined.

The term “hotel” shall mean and include any entity or individual engaged in the business of furnishing or providing one or more rooms intended or designed for dwelling, lodging or sleeping purposes that at any one time will accommodate transient guests and that are known to the trade as such and includes every building or other structure kept, used, maintained or advertised as, or held out to the public to be, a place where sleeping accommodations are supplied for pay or other consideration to transient guests regardless of the number of rooms, units, suites or cabins available, excluding nursing homes or institutions for the aged or infirm as defined in Section 43-11-1.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-49-5 Premises to be kept in clean and sanitary condition.

It shall be the duty of every keeper, manager or person in charge of the conduct of any hotel or inn in this state to keep all of the rooms used in connection with such hotel, or provided for the use of guests, in clean and sanitary condition; and to provide each guest with effective protection against flies, mosquitoes and other vermin.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-49-7 Copy of chapter to be posted in all hotels and inns.

A copy of Sections 41-49-1 through 41-49-5, 41-49-9, shall be posted and kept posted in a conspicuous place in the general office or lobby, provided for the use of guests and patrons of every public inn and hotel.

Miss. Code Ann. § 41-49-9 Penalty.

Any owner, manager or person in charge of a hotel who shall fail, neglect or refuse to comply with any of Sections 41-49-1 through 41-49-7, or with any applicable rules or regulations of the state board of health, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction shall be fined not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). Each day’s failure, neglect or refusal shall constitute a separate offense, and may be punished as such.

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