Louisiana tenant rights

Guides for Louisiana renters

Security deposit in Louisiana

Limit

no statewide limit

Deadline to return it

The landlord must return the deposit within one month after the lease ends. If the landlord keeps any part, the landlord must send an itemized statement; since August 1, 2026 the landlord may send that statement up to 15 days after the one-month mark. Give the landlord your forwarding address when you move out. This rule does not apply if you abandon the home without giving the required notice or leave before the lease ends.

Itemized list

If any part is kept: an itemized statement of what was kept and why. Receipts are not required by the statute.

What may be deducted

Amounts reasonably needed to cover your default (such as unpaid rent) or to fix unreasonable wear to the home. Normal wear and tear may not be charged.

Interest

no

If the landlord keeps it wrongly

If the landlord willfully fails to follow the law, you can recover the amount wrongly kept plus $300 or twice the amount wrongly kept, whichever is greater. Not returning the deposit within 30 days after your written demand counts as willful. The court may, in its discretion, also award costs and attorney's fees to the winner (R.S. 9:3253). Any lease clause waiving these rights is void.

Law

La. R.S. 9:3251-3254 (as amended by Act 63 of 2026)

How to get your deposit back

1. Before you move out, clean, take dated photos and video of every room, and return all keys.
2. Give your landlord your new address in writing. In Louisiana: Give the landlord your forwarding address when you move out.
3. Wait for the deadline: The landlord must return the deposit within one month after the lease ends.
4. If the money or an itemized list doesn't come, or the deductions are wrong, send a demand letter (below). Keep proof of mailing.
5. If that doesn't work, sue in small claims court. Limit: $5,000 in city court small claims divisions and Justice of the Peace courts. Small claims court in Louisiana on RobinClaim

Full Louisiana security deposit guide

Repairs in Louisiana

The landlord's duty

The landlord must keep the home in a condition suitable for the purpose it was rented for and make all necessary repairs during the lease, except those that are the tenant's responsibility (Civil Code arts. 2682, 2691).

How to ask for repairs

Ask the landlord to make the repair (a written, dated request is best; keep a copy). The law gives the landlord a 'reasonable time'; no fixed number of days.

Repair and deduct

Allowed. If the landlord does not make necessary repairs within a reasonable time after you ask, you may have them made and either demand immediate repayment or subtract the cost from rent, but only if the repair was necessary and the cost reasonable (Civil Code art. 2694). Your lease may limit this right; check it.

Withholding rent

not allowed; there is no rent escrow law. Only the repair-and-deduct remedy above.

Law

Louisiana Civil Code arts. 2682, 2691, 2694

Full Louisiana repair rights guide

Landlord entry in Louisiana

no statute; check your lease. The landlord must protect your peaceful possession during the lease (Civil Code art. 2682).

Eviction in Louisiana

Notice for unpaid rent

Written notice to vacate giving you at least 5 days from delivery (Code Civ. Proc. art. 4701). Louisiana has no 'pay or quit' notice. Many leases contain a waiver of this notice; if yours does, the landlord can file right away.

Notice for a lease violation

Same written 5-day notice to vacate (unless waived in the lease). No right to cure is required by statute.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

Written notice at least 10 calendar days before the end of the month, from either side (Civil Code arts. 2728-2729). For leases with periods longer than a month, 30 days before the end of the period; week-to-week, 5 days.

Time to respond to an eviction lawsuit

No written answer is required. The court sets a hearing ('rule to show cause') no earlier than the third day after you are served; go to court and present your defense (Code Civ. Proc. art. 4732). If the landlord wins, you have only 24 hours before the court can issue a warrant to remove you (art. 4733).

Lockouts and utility shutoffs

The landlord must go to court; the eviction articles give the landlord possession only through a court judgment and warrant. Exception: after the required notice, the landlord may retake a home it reasonably believes you abandoned. In parishes under a federal disaster declaration, leaving the home is not treated as abandonment for 30 days, and a landlord who breaks this rule owes you $500 or twice the monthly rent, whichever is greater (Code Civ. Proc. art. 4731).

Law

La. Code Civ. Proc. arts. 4701, 4731-4733; Civil Code arts. 2728-2729

Full Louisiana eviction guide

Small claims court in Louisiana

Deposit disputes usually go to small claims court, where you don't need a lawyer.

Limit: $5,000 in city court small claims divisions and Justice of the Peace courts.

Where to get free help in Louisiana

• Louisiana Attorney General, Consumer Protection · 800-351-4889
• Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

Good to know in Louisiana

• Most Louisiana leases include a waiver of the 5-day notice to vacate. Read your lease: if you signed a waiver, the landlord can file for eviction as soon as your right to stay ends.
• After an eviction judgment you may have only 24 hours to leave before a warrant issues, so go to the hearing and bring proof (receipts, photos, letters).
• Since August 1, 2026 a landlord who keeps part of your deposit has up to 15 extra days after the one-month deadline to send the itemized statement.

Free tools for Louisiana renters

Pre-set for Louisiana. Free, no account needed.

Deposit return calculator for Louisiana

Find your state's deadline for returning a security deposit, whether your landlord is late and what you may be owed.

Security deposit demand letter for Louisiana

A short, firm and polite letter asking your landlord to return your deposit by a date. It cites your state's deposit law. Many landlords pay at this step, and the letter is proof that you asked. Fill this in, download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it), sign it, keep a copy and send it in a way you can prove, such as certified mail with a return receipt.

Repair request letter for Louisiana

Ask your landlord in writing to fix the problem by a date. A written, dated request is the first step in almost every state, and it is proof that the landlord knew. Check the problems, add dates, then download the letter as PDF or Word (or copy it). Sign it, keep a copy and photos, and send it in a way you can prove.

Eviction notice timeline for Louisiana

Got a notice from your landlord? Enter the kind of notice and the day you got it to see the dates that follow from your state's rule, what your landlord may not do, and where to get free help fast.

Other states