Louisiana Room Rental Agreement Generator

Louisiana’s lease law comes from the Civil Code: the lessor’s obligations are in arts. 2682 through 2699, the lessee’s in the articles that follow, and termination rules in arts. 2726 through 2729. The deposit rules sit in R.S. 9:3251 through 9:3254 (the Lessee’s Deposit Act), and evictions run through the Code of Civil Procedure starting at art. 4701. Federal requirements such as the lead-based paint disclosure for pre-1978 housing apply on top.

Because Louisiana has no landlord-tenant act, the written lease carries more weight than in most states — and because eviction notice rules are tight and give tenants no cure period, both sides should read the lease and the statute before acting. New Orleans adds its own layer: a Healthy Homes registration and certificate program, an eviction right-to-counsel ordinance, and short-term rental rules.

Louisiana does not cap security deposits — the amount is whatever the lease says, and the "two months’ rent" figure often quoted online is industry practice, not statute. The rewritten R.S. 9:3251 (effective January 1, 2019) instead focuses on the return clock: within one month after the lease terminates, the lessor must return the deposit or send a written, itemized statement of the deductions with the reasons, along with the balance. The tenant must provide a forwarding address in writing for the clock to run.

Deductions are limited to amounts reasonably necessary to remedy a tenant default (unpaid rent, for example) and to repair unreasonable wear beyond normal wear and tear. There is an abandonment exception: if the tenant abandons the property without the required notice, the one-month rule does not apply and the deposit can be treated as abandoned to the lessor if the tenant does not sue within three years.

The penalty structure gives the law its teeth:

Louisiana has no statute that caps or regulates pet deposits, pet fees, or pet rent — they are governed entirely by the lease. Custom in many markets is an additional month’s rent as a pet deposit, but that is practice, not law.

Service and assistance animals are not pets under the federal Fair Housing Act, so pet deposits, pet fees, and pet rent cannot be charged for them. A Louisiana pet addendum should state the amount and refundability of any pet deposit, any monthly pet rent, and the tenant’s responsibility for damage and cleanup.

Louisiana has no rent control at any level, and R.S. 9:3258 protects a lessor’s right to own, control, and dispose of property — the provision commonly cited against local rent regulation. A fixed-term lease locks the rent for the term and ends without notice when the term expires. For a month-to-month lease, either side can end or change the arrangement on 10 calendar days’ notice before the end of the month; terms longer than a month need 30 calendar days’ notice, and week-to-month leases need 5 days (Civil Code art. 2728).

Tenants who receive a rent change should confirm it is in writing and check which notice period applies. Landlords should treat the Civil Code deadlines as hard rules — a late notice takes effect only the following period.

Louisiana’s habitability rules come from the Civil Code: the lessor must deliver the thing in good condition (art. 2684), make all necessary repairs (art. 2691), and warrant against vices and defects that prevent or impair use (arts. 2696–2699). That warranty is strict and cannot be waived as to defects the lessor knew or should have known about, or defects that seriously affect health or safety. The lessor also warrants peaceful possession (art. 2700).

Tenant remedies are civil-code remedies:

Louisiana evictions start with a written notice to vacate of at least 5 days (Code of Civil Procedure art. 4701). It is a notice to vacate, not a pay-or-quit: Louisiana gives the tenant no statutory cure right, so paying rent after the notice does not automatically stop the eviction, and the lease may waive the notice entirely. Month-to-month tenants need both the Civil Code termination notice and the 5-day notice to vacate.

The landlord then files a rule to show cause in the proper court (JP, city, or district court depending on the amount and the parish), and the hearing is set quickly. Self-help is not allowed — a lessor cannot lock out a tenant or cut off utilities. Tenants served with a notice to vacate should respond immediately and contact Southeast Louisiana Legal Services or another legal aid provider, because the timeline is short and there is no automatic second chance.

New Orleans is the Louisiana city to watch: its Healthy Homes program requires rental registration and a certificate of compliance covering smoke and CO alarms, hot water at 110°F, heating to 68°F, working plumbing, and no mold or rodent problems, with 311 complaint reporting and anti-retaliation protection; the City Council also passed an eviction right-to-counsel ordinance in 2022 and strictly regulates short-term rentals. Baton Rouge and Shreveport enforce their own housing and fair-housing codes but have no rent control or just-cause protections.

For disputes, justice of the peace courts handle claims up to $5,000 (CCP art. 4911) and run evictions in rural parishes, city courts have civil jurisdiction up to $35,000 depending on the court, and small claims divisions cap claims at $5,000 (R.S. 13:5202). Free help is available from Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center, Acadiana Legal Service Corporation, and LawHelp Louisiana. Start with a written demand letter citing R.S. 9:3251 — most deposit cases settle once the $300-or-double exposure is clear.