Louisiana Lease Law (2026): Civil Code Rules for Renters & Landlords
Louisiana residential leases are governed by the Civil Code Lease title (arts. 2668-2729) plus R.S. 9:3251 for deposits. Checked against legis.la.gov on 2026-11-07.
Key numbers
- 99 yrslongest lease term
- 10 daysnotice to end month-to-month (calendar days, before month end)
- 1 weektenant stays after a fixed term, no objection: lease renews
- 5 dayswritten notice to vacate before eviction
- 1 monthto return the security deposit
- $300 / 2xdeposit penalty: whichever is greater
When a fixed-term lease ends
From the last day of the term to the notice that ends a month-to-month lease
- 1Fixed term endsNo notice needed (art. 2720)
- 21 weekTenant stays, nobody objects: lease is reconducted (art. 2721(2))
- 3Month-to-monthAll other terms continue (arts. 2723(1), 2724)
- 410 calendar daysWritten notice before month end (arts. 2728(2), 2729)
Reconduction applies after a fixed term longer than a week; a lease whose term was a month or longer then becomes month-to-month (La. Civ. Code art. 2723(1), 2724). If no term was agreed for a house or apartment, the lease is month-to-month by law (La. Civ. Code art. 2680(2)).
Louisiana lease notice calculator
Last day to give notice, from Civil Code arts. 2720-2729
Pick the lease type and a date to see the notice deadline.
Counts calendar days as the Civil Code says. If your lease has an early-termination clause, the longer of its notice and the code notice applies (La. Civ. Code art. 2718). General information, not legal advice.
Want it for the tenant's own move-out? Louisiana move-out notice date calculator.
Landlord duties vs tenant duties
Landlord (lessor)
- The landlord must deliver the property, keep it in a condition suitable for its purpose, and protect the tenant's peaceful possession for the whole lease. (La. Civ. Code art. 2682)
- During the lease the landlord must make all repairs needed to keep the property suitable for its purpose, except repairs the tenant is responsible for. (La. Civ. Code art. 2691)
- The landlord warrants the property is fit for its purpose and free of defects that prevent that use, including defects that appear later (not caused by the tenant) and defects the landlord did not know about. (La. Civ. Code art. 2696, 2697)
- The landlord warrants the tenant's peaceful possession against anyone claiming rights in the property, and in a residential lease also against people the landlord lets in or who occupy the landlord's adjacent property. (La. Civ. Code art. 2700)
Tenant (lessee)
- The tenant must pay rent as agreed, use the property as a prudent administrator for its agreed purpose, and return it in the same condition as received except for normal wear and tear. (La. Civ. Code art. 2683)
- The tenant must tell the landlord without delay when the property is damaged, needs repair, or a third person disturbs possession. (La. Civ. Code art. 2688)
- The tenant must repair damage caused by his or his guests' fault and deterioration beyond normal or agreed use. (La. Civ. Code art. 2692)
- If the tenant misuses the property the landlord can get an injunction, dissolve the lease and claim damages; the tenant is liable for damage caused by his fault or by people on the premises with his consent. (La. Civ. Code art. 2686, 2687)
Landlord entry: the Civil Code's Lease title sets no notice period for landlord entry. Check what your lease says.
Repair and deduct, step by step
- 1
Demand
Tell the landlord the repair is needed.
- 2
Reasonable time
The landlord does not act within a reasonable time (no fixed day count).
- 3
Necessary repair, reasonable price
The tenant has the repair made. Only necessary repairs, only a reasonable amount.
- 4
Get paid back or deduct
Ask for reimbursement, or apply the amount to rent.
Source: La. Civ. Code art. 2694. No fixed number of days and no written-notice requirement appear in the article text. Urgent repairs by the landlord can entitle the tenant to a rent reduction or ending the lease (La. Civ. Code art. 2693).
What a lease cannot waive
Defects warranty (art. 2699)
A lease can waive the defects warranty only in clear, unambiguous language brought to the tenant's attention, and in a residential lease it can never waive defects that seriously affect health or safety, or defects the landlord knew or should have known about and the tenant did not.
Early-termination notice (art. 2718)
If a lease lets a party end it early, that party must give the notice in the lease or the notice in arts. 2727-2729, whichever is longer, and this notice cannot be waived in advance.
Deposit rights (R.S. 9:3254)
A waiver of the tenant's deposit rights under the deposit part is null and void.
What a lease can waive
A tenant can waive the notice to vacate in a written clause in the lease; then the landlord can file for eviction immediately once the right of occupancy ends.
Deposits, late fees, eviction notice, sale of the building
Security deposit
The landlord must return the deposit within one month after the lease ends, keeping only what is reasonably needed for the tenant's default or unreasonable wear, with an itemized statement of anything kept. Since 1 August 2026 the itemized statement may follow up to 15 days after the one-month date. If the landlord willfully fails to comply, the tenant recovers the wrongfully kept amount plus $300 or twice that amount, whichever is greater; not paying within 30 days after a written demand counts as willful.
Late fees
Louisiana has no statute capping residential late fees or requiring a grace period; a late fee in a lease is treated as stipulated damages, which apply only once the tenant is in default and which a court may change only if manifestly unreasonable.
La. Civ. Code art. 2009, 2010, 2012 · Check a Louisiana late fee
Eviction notice
Before filing for eviction the landlord must deliver a written notice to vacate giving the tenant at least 5 days from delivery; for a lease with no definite term the termination notice counts as the notice to vacate.
If the building is sold (Act 240 of 2026, in force 1 Aug 2026)
A sale or other transfer of the property does not end the lease between landlord and tenant, and the tenant can sue the landlord for any loss caused by the transfer. A lease of an immovable has effect against third persons, such as a buyer of the building, only from the time it is filed for registry (recorded); the buyer is not personally bound by the old landlord's lease obligations unless he assumes them.
Signing a Louisiana lease?
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How much notice do I need to end a month-to-month lease in Louisiana?
To end a month-to-month lease, either side must give notice at least 10 calendar days before the end of the month. For a house or apartment the termination notice must be in writing; a tenant who hands back possession at the time notice is due is treated as having given notice. (La. Civ. Code art. 2728(2); La. Civ. Code art. 2729).
What happens when a fixed-term lease ends in Louisiana?
A lease with a fixed term ends automatically when the term expires; no notice is needed, unless it is reconducted or extended. If a tenant stays on for one week after a fixed term longer than a week ends, and neither side gave notice to vacate or otherwise objected, the lease is reconducted (renewed automatically). A reconducted residential lease whose original term was a month or longer becomes month-to-month, keeps all its other terms, and is ended with the notice in arts. 2727-2729 (10 days for month-to-month). (La. Civ. Code art. 2720; La. Civ. Code art. 2721(2); La. Civ. Code art. 2723(1), 2724).
How long does a Louisiana landlord have to return a security deposit?
The landlord must return the deposit within one month after the lease ends, keeping only what is reasonably needed for the tenant's default or unreasonable wear, with an itemized statement of anything kept. Since 1 August 2026 the itemized statement may follow up to 15 days after the one-month date (La. R.S. 9:3251(A)). If the landlord willfully fails to comply, the tenant recovers the wrongfully kept amount plus $300 or twice that amount, whichever is greater; not paying within 30 days after a written demand counts as willful. (La. R.S. 9:3252(A)).
Is there a late fee cap on Louisiana residential rent?
Louisiana has no statute capping residential late fees or requiring a grace period; a late fee in a lease is treated as stipulated damages, which apply only once the tenant is in default and which a court may change only if manifestly unreasonable. Court review: "Stipulated damages may not be modified by the court unless they are so manifestly unreasonable as to be contrary to public policy." (La. Civ. Code art. 2009, 2010, 2012).
How much notice does a Louisiana landlord give before eviction?
Before filing for eviction the landlord must deliver a written notice to vacate giving the tenant at least 5 days from delivery; for a lease with no definite term the termination notice counts as the notice to vacate. A tenant can waive the notice to vacate in a written clause in the lease; then the landlord can file for eviction immediately once the right of occupancy ends. (La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4701).
Can a Louisiana tenant make repairs and deduct the cost from rent?
If the landlord does not make necessary repairs within a reasonable time after the tenant's demand, the tenant may have them made and get reimbursed or deduct the cost from rent, but only for necessary repairs at a reasonable price. There is no fixed number of days: the code says a reasonable time (La. Civ. Code art. 2694).
Related
Last checked 2026-11-07 against the legis.la.gov text linked on each fact (not reviewed by a lawyer). General information only, not legal advice. Laws change; verify with the linked source or a licensed attorney.