Louisiana Residential Lease Agreement
What Louisiana law requires in a residential lease — the deposit cap, the return deadline, the notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the disclosures you have to give the tenant. Every figure is cited to the statute it comes from and dated. The free Louisiana lease template is one click away.
Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.
Other Louisiana rules your lease has to live with
Beyond the deposit, Louisiana law sets rules on entry, late fees, and repairs that apply whether or not the lease mentions them.
- Repair and deduct. Allowed: if lessor fails to make necessary repairs within reasonable time after demand, lessee may make them and apply the reasonable cost to rent — La. Civ. Code art. 2694 (Acts 2004, No. 821, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2005) ↗
- Habitability. Louisiana law implies a warranty of habitability into every residential lease; a clause waiving it is unenforceable. — La. Civ. Code art. 2682 and art. 2691 (Acts 2004, No. 821, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2005) ↗
Each point links to the Louisiana source it was taken from. Rules change; confirm before relying on them.
What Louisiana law requires · as of 2026
- Max security deposit
- No statutory limit
- Deposit return deadline
- 30 days after move-out
- Notice to end month-to-month
- 10 days
Source: La. Rev. Stat. §9:3251 · verify ↗. Laws change — confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
Deposit still not back 30 days after move-out? Ask for it in writing with a Louisiana security deposit demand letter; if that doesn’t work, the usual next step is Louisiana small claims court.
Need the document itself?
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Frequently asked questions
How much security deposit can a landlord charge in Louisiana?
Louisiana does not set a statutory cap on the security deposit, so the amount is negotiable — but it must be returned within 30 days after you move out (as of 2026). Source: La. Rev. Stat. §9:3251.
Is this lease valid in Louisiana?
A written lease that identifies the parties, the property, the term, and the rent is generally enforceable in Louisiana once both sides sign. What it cannot do is contract around Louisiana law: the deposit rules, entry notice, and habitability duties below apply whether or not the lease mentions them.
Can a tenant repair and deduct rent in Louisiana?
Allowed: if lessor fails to make necessary repairs within reasonable time after demand, lessee may make them and apply the reasonable cost to rent Source: La. Civ. Code art. 2694 (Acts 2004, No. 821, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2005).
How does Louisiana compare? See the security deposit limits in all 50 states, every figure cited to statute.
How Louisiana compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Louisiana: La. Rev. Stat. §9:3251 ↗.
- Louisiana is one of 22 of 51 jurisdictions that set no statutory cap on the security deposit (29 cap the deposit by statute).
- Deposit return deadline
Deposit return deadline: 30 days, exactly the national median.
This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 26 other states.
Deposit return deadline in neighboring states — Arkansas (60 days), Mississippi (45 days), Texas (30 days).
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy: 10 days — well under the national median of 30 days across the 49 states with a statutory rule.
Ranked #48 of 49 states — higher means a longer notice period.
No other state uses exactly this figure.
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy in neighboring states — Arkansas (30 days), Mississippi (30 days), Texas (30 days). Louisiana's 10 days is the shortest among its neighbors.
The rest of what Louisiana requires
The figures below are Louisiana's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full Louisiana page for that document.
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 5 days to pay or quit La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4701; La. Civ. Code art. 2728 ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $5,000 La. C.C.P. art. 4911; La. R.S. 13:5200 et seq. (city court small claims); La. R.S. 13:2590 (JP fees) ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Justice of the Peace Court (rural wards) or the small claims division of a City Court · filing fee Set locally by each court under La. R.S. 13:2590; commonly ~$75-$150 including service. Ask the individual JP or city court clerk. La. C.C.P. art. 4911; La. R.S. 13:5200 et seq. (city court small claims); La. R.S. 13:2590 (JP fees) ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- No statutory limit Louisiana Laws ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Required to transfer a vehicle title Louisiana OMV ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization not-required La. Civ. Code arts. 2989 & 2993 ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Not required by statute, but it controls over the default rules La. R.S. 12:1301(A)(16) ↗
- Recording a deed · as of 2026
- Clerk of Court, ex officio parish recorder of conveyances and mortgages (La. R.S. 13:750; in Orleans Parish the clerk of civil district court is parish recorder, La. R.S. 44:181) · 2 witnesses La. Civ. Code arts. 1833, 1839, 2502 ↗
Lease agreement in other states
More Louisiana legal forms
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