Louisiana Tenant Law: Security Deposits, Late Fees & Landlord Entry (2026)
What Louisiana law says about the clauses that matter most in a residential lease. Data as of 2026-10-18.
Security deposits
- Max
- No statutory cap. The landlord may keep only what is reasonably necessary to remedy the tenant's default or unreasonable wear to the premises (R.S. 9:3251(A)).
- Return deadline days
- 30 days
- Itemization required
- Yes
- Interest required
- No
Source: La. R.S. 9:3251, 9:3252, 9:3254
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Late fees
We haven't verified a statewide rule for this yet. Check your lease, your city's rules, or a local tenant organization.
Check if your Louisiana late fee is legal
Landlord entry
We haven't verified a statewide rule for this yet. Check your lease, your city's rules, or a local tenant organization.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy
- Tenant
- Written notice at least 10 calendar days before the end of the month.
- Landlord
- Written notice at least 10 calendar days before the end of the month.
Rent increases
We haven't verified a statewide rule for this yet. Check your lease, your city's rules, or a local tenant organization.
Repairs & habitability
- Rule
- The landlord must make all repairs needed to keep the home suitable for its purpose, except damage caused by the tenant's fault or use beyond normal wear (arts. 2691, 2692). If the landlord fails to repair within a reasonable time after the tenant's demand, the tenant may have the repair made and get reimbursed or deduct the cost from rent, to the extent the repair was necessary and the cost reasonable (art. 2694). In a residential lease, the warranty against defects that seriously affect health or safety cannot be waived (art. 2699(3)).
Retaliation
We haven't verified a statewide rule for this yet. Check your lease, your city's rules, or a local tenant organization.
Clauses often unenforceable in Louisiana
- Any waiver of the tenant's security-deposit rights under R.S. 9:3251-3254 (null and void, R.S. 9:3254)
- Waiver of the warranty against defects that seriously affect health or safety in a residential lease (art. 2699(3))
- Waiver of the warranty for defects the landlord knew or should have known about and the tenant did not (art. 2699(1))
- Deposit deductions beyond the tenant's default or unreasonable wear (R.S. 9:3251(A))
Notes
Deposit: returned within one month after the lease ends; any amount kept needs an itemized statement within one month (or within 15 days after that month) sent to the tenant's forwarding address, which the tenant must provide (R.S. 9:3251(A)). These rules don't apply if the tenant abandons the unit without required notice or before the lease ends (9:3251(C)). Willful failure to return the deposit lets the tenant recover the amount wrongfully kept plus the greater of $300 or twice that amount; not paying within 30 days after the tenant's written demand counts as willful (9:3252); the court may award attorney fees to the prevailing party (9:3253). A fixed-term lease of a month or longer becomes month-to-month if the tenant stays one week past the end without notice to vacate from either side (arts. 2721, 2723). A clause banning subleasing is strictly construed against the landlord and is deemed to also ban assignment, unless the lease says otherwise (art. 2713).
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General information only, not legal advice. Laws change — verify with the linked source or a licensed attorney.