Free Louisiana Lease & Rental Agreement

Last updated September 27, 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Louisiana Residential Lease Agreement

A Louisiana residential lease (also called a Louisiana rental agreement) sets the rent, term and house rules for a home rental. A Louisiana residential lease agreement is governed by the Louisiana Civil Code’s title on Lease (arts. 2668–2729), security-deposit statutes in La. R.S. 9:3251–9:3253, and eviction procedure in the Code of Civil Procedure (arts. 4701 et seq.). As a civil-law state, Louisiana works differently from the rest of the country — a month-to-month lease ends on just 10 days’ notice, and a lease can waive the 5-day notice to vacate. Below is what Louisiana law actually requires.

Louisiana landlord–tenant law at a glance

Louisiana residential lease law summary
Security deposit limit	No statutory cap
Deposit return	1 month after the lease ends; since Aug. 1, 2026 the itemized statement may follow up to 15 days laterLa. R.S. 9:3251(A)
Late fees	No statutory cap; courts modify only “manifestly unreasonable” stipulated damagesLa. Civ. Code art. 2012
Rent-increase notice	No statute; month-to-month terms can be reset by giving the 10-day termination notice
Landlord entry	No statutory notice period — set it in the lease
Month-to-month termination	10 calendar days before the end of the month, in writingLa. Civ. Code arts. 2728–2729
Notice to vacate (eviction)	5 days — and the tenant can waive it in the leaseLa. C.C.P. art. 4701
Rent control	None; lessors’ Civil Code rights can be changed only by state lawLa. R.S. 9:3258

Security deposits in Louisiana

Louisiana places no limit on the amount of a security deposit. The rules focus on what the landlord may keep and how quickly the balance comes back (La. R.S. 9:3251).

What can be kept — Only what is reasonably necessary to remedy the tenant’s default or to remedy unreasonable wear to the premises — normal wear and tear can’t be charged (R.S. 9:3251(A)).
Return deadline — The deposit must be returned within one month after the lease terminates (R.S. 9:3251(A)).
Itemized statement — If any part is kept, the landlord must send an itemized statement of the amounts retained and the reasons. Act 63 of 2026 (effective August 1, 2026) lets that statement go out within one month of termination or within 15 days after that one-month mark — the deadline for returning the deposit itself did not change.
Abandonment — The one-month return rule doesn’t apply when the tenant abandons the premises, either without giving the required notice or before the lease ends (R.S. 9:3251(C)).
Penalty — Willful failure to comply lets the tenant recover the amount wrongfully kept plus $300 or twice that amount, whichever is greater. Not refunding within 30 days after the tenant’s written demand counts as willful (R.S. 9:3252). The court may award attorney fees to the prevailing party (R.S. 9:3253).

Rent, late fees & rent increases

The tenant’s core obligations are to pay rent as agreed, use the property as a prudent administrator for its intended purpose, and return it in the same condition except for normal wear and tear (La. Civ. Code art. 2683).

Late fees — Louisiana has no statutory late-fee cap. A late charge is generally treated as a stipulated-damages clause, which a court may modify only if it is so manifestly unreasonable as to be contrary to public policy (art. 2012). Write the amount and grace period into the lease.
Rent increases — There’s no statutory rent-increase notice. A fixed-term lease can’t be raised mid-term unless it says so; for a month-to-month lease, the practical route is to give the 10-day notice needed to end it (art. 2728) and offer new terms.
Rent control — No Louisiana city or parish has rent control. La. R.S. 9:3258 provides that lessors’ rights under the Civil Code’s lease title can’t be altered, abridged, or diminished except by state law.

Landlord entry & access

Louisiana has no statute setting a notice period for landlord entry. Instead, the landlord is bound to protect the tenant’s peaceful possession for the duration of the lease (La. Civ. Code art. 2682). Because the law is silent on timing, the entry clause in your lease — how much notice, when, and for what purposes — is what governs day to day.

Ending a Louisiana tenancy

A lease with no fixed term — including a fixed-term lease that has been “reconducted” — ends when either party gives notice (art. 2727). A fixed-term lease is reconducted if the tenant stays in possession for one week after the term ends without either side objecting, and a reconducted lease of a month or longer runs month to month (arts. 2721, 2723). Notice for a residence must be in writing (art. 2729), and the periods count backwards from the end of the rental period, not forwards from the date of notice.

Notice to end a Louisiana lease with no fixed term (La. Civ. Code art. 2728)
Term longer than a month	30 calendar days before the end of the period
Month-to-month	10 calendar days before the end of the month
Week or longer, but under a month	5 calendar days before the end of the period
Shorter than a week	Any time before the period expires

Notice to vacate — Once the tenant’s right of occupancy ends — for nonpayment, a breach, or expiration — the landlord must deliver a written notice giving at least 5 days to vacate before filing an eviction (La. C.C.P. art. 4701).
Waiver — A tenant may waive the 5-day notice in a written clause in the lease, letting the landlord file for eviction immediately once occupancy rights end (art. 4701).
Domestic abuse & stalking — In buildings of six or more units (except owner-occupied buildings of ten or fewer units), a domestic-abuse victim who provides the required documentation may terminate the lease early, owing rent only through the termination date. Act 64 of 2026 (effective August 1, 2026) extends this to victims of stalking and cyberstalking (La. R.S. 9:3261.1).
Military — An active-duty servicemember with qualifying orders may terminate under the federal SCRA (50 U.S.C. §3955).

Required disclosures in Louisiana

Louisiana adds few mandatory lease disclosures of its own — but the waivers above only work if the lease spells them out.

Lead-based paint — Federal law requires the lead warning and any known-hazard disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d).
Warranty waivers — Any waiver of the landlord’s warranty against defects must use clear and unambiguous language brought to the tenant’s attention (La. Civ. Code art. 2699).
Notice waiver — A waiver of the 5-day notice to vacate is valid only if it’s written into the lease (La. C.C.P. art. 4701).

Habitability & repairs

The landlord must deliver the property and maintain it in a condition suitable for the purpose for which it was leased (art. 2682), and during the lease must make all repairs that become necessary for that purpose except those the tenant is responsible for (art. 2691). The landlord also warrants that the property is free of vices or defects that prevent its use, including defects that arise after move-in not caused by the tenant (art. 2696).

The tenant must notify the landlord without delay when the property needs repair (art. 2688). If the landlord fails to make necessary repairs within a reasonable time after demand, the tenant may have them made and get reimbursed or deduct the reasonable cost from the rent (art. 2694).

Tenant protections you can’t waive

Health & safety defects — In a residential lease, a waiver of warranty is ineffective for defects that seriously affect health or safety, or for defects the landlord knew or should have known of and the tenant didn’t (art. 2699).
Liability limits — A clause that in advance excludes or limits a party’s liability for intentional or gross fault, or for causing physical injury, is null (art. 2004).
Deposit rights — The one-month return rule and the $300-or-double penalty for willful retention apply by statute, regardless of what the lease says (R.S. 9:3251–9:3252).
Retaliation — Louisiana has no general anti-retaliation statute for private rentals; courts have recognized “abuse of right” as a possible eviction defense, and New Orleans adds a local presumption of retaliation for non-renewals after a tenant seeks habitable housing.

Louisiana lease agreement FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Louisiana?

Louisiana sets no maximum deposit. The landlord may keep only what’s reasonably necessary to remedy the tenant’s default or unreasonable wear to the premises (La. R.S. 9:3251).

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Louisiana?

One month after the lease terminates. If any part is kept, an itemized statement of the amounts and reasons is required — and under Act 63 of 2026 (effective August 1, 2026), that statement may be sent up to 15 days after the one-month mark. Willful noncompliance costs the landlord $300 or twice the amount wrongfully kept, whichever is greater (R.S. 9:3251–9:3252).

How much notice is required to end a month-to-month lease in Louisiana?

Written notice at least 10 calendar days before the end of the month. Leases measured in periods longer than a month need 30 days before the end of the period (La. Civ. Code arts. 2728–2729).

Is there a limit on late fees in Louisiana?

No statute caps late fees. They’re treated as stipulated damages, which a court may modify only if manifestly unreasonable and contrary to public policy (La. Civ. Code art. 2012).

How much notice does a Louisiana landlord need to enter the rental?

Louisiana law doesn’t set an entry-notice period. The landlord must protect the tenant’s peaceful possession (art. 2682), so the entry terms in the lease — how much notice, when, and for what purposes — are what govern.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before an eviction in Louisiana?

A written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days (La. C.C.P. art. 4701). A tenant can waive this notice in the lease, in which case the landlord may file for eviction as soon as the tenant’s right of occupancy ends.

Does a Louisiana lease need to be written or notarized?

Neither is strictly required — Louisiana recognizes both written and oral leases (R.S. 9:3251 refers to either). But a notice of termination for a residence must be in writing (art. 2729), and a written lease is the only way to waive the eviction notice, so put it in writing.

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