DocDraft Logo

Louisiana Residential Lease Agreement

Louisiana has no deposit cap, but deposits must return in one month. Free lease agreement with rent, deposit, and notice terms. Attorney review available.

Introduction

A residential lease agreement is a legally binding contract between a landlord (lessor) and a tenant (lessee) setting the terms under which the tenant rents the landlord's residential property, including the rent, the lease term, the security deposit, each party's responsibilities, and how the lease ends. In Louisiana the lease is governed primarily by the Civil Code lease articles, La. Civ. Code arts. 2668-2777, along with the Lessee's Deposit Act at La. R.S. 9:3251 et seq. Louisiana sets no statutory maximum on how much a landlord can charge for a security deposit, but under R.S. 9:3251 the deposit must be returned within one month after the lease terminates, and if the lessor keeps any part of it, an itemized statement of the amount retained and the reasons must be sent to the tenant within that same one month. Willful failure to comply exposes the lessor to statutory damages of the greater of $300 or twice the wrongfully retained amount under R.S. 9:3252. Federal law requires a lead-based paint disclosure for housing built before 1978. Neither the Civil Code lease articles nor the Deposit Act set an advance-notice period for a landlord to enter the premises, so entry should be arranged at a reasonable time. Attorney review is available as an option before you sign.

0/5000

Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    A residential lease agreement is a contract that sets the terms under which a tenant (lessee) rents a landlord's (lessor's) property: rent, term, deposit, responsibilities, and how the lease ends.

  2. 2

    Louisiana sets no statutory cap on how much a landlord may charge for a security deposit under R.S. 9:3251 et seq.; the statute governs only the deposit's return and itemization, not its amount.

  3. 3

    The deposit must be returned within one month (about 30 days) after the lease terminates, minus any amount reasonably needed to remedy the tenant's default or wear beyond ordinary use.

  4. 4

    Louisiana law requires only the federal lead-based paint disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d); no additional statewide disclosure is mandated by the sources reviewed.

  5. 5

    Neither the Civil Code lease articles nor the Deposit Act set a required number of hours' notice before a landlord may enter; there is no Louisiana entry-notice statute, so entry should be arranged at a reasonable time under the lease's terms.

  6. 6

    Louisiana has no statute capping late fees or requiring a grace period before rent is considered late; any late charge and grace period come from what the lease itself specifies.

  7. 7

    A month-to-month lease is ended with at least 10 calendar days' notice before the end of the month (La. Civ. Code art. 2728); there is no separate statute setting a notice period for a rent increase, and Louisiana has no statewide or authorized local rent control.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Residential Lease Agreement in Louisiana, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Residential Lease Agreement guide walks through them.

Open the Residential Lease Agreement guide

Customize your Residential Lease Agreement Template with DocDraft

LOUISIANA RESIDENTIAL LEASE AGREEMENT

  1. PARTIES AND PREMISES This Lease is made on [DATE] between [LANDLORD NAME], the landlord (lessor), and [TENANT NAME], the tenant (lessee), for the residential property located at [PROPERTY ADDRESS], Louisiana (the Premises).

  2. TERM This Lease is [a fixed term beginning [START DATE] and ending [END DATE] / a month-to-month tenancy beginning [START DATE]]. A month-to-month lease may be ended by either party giving at least 10 calendar days' written notice before the end of the month (La. Civ. Code art. 2728).

  3. RENT Tenant agrees to pay rent of $[AMOUNT] per month, due on the [DAY] of each month. Louisiana sets no statutory grace period or late-fee cap; any grace period and late charge are as stated here: [GRACE PERIOD / LATE FEE TERMS], consistent with the general freedom-of-contract lease rules of La. Civ. Code arts. 2668-2777.

  4. SECURITY DEPOSIT Tenant will pay a security deposit of $[AMOUNT]. Louisiana law sets no maximum deposit amount (La. R.S. 9:3251 et seq.). Landlord must return the deposit, less any amount reasonably necessary to cover unpaid rent or damage beyond ordinary wear, within one month after this Lease terminates. If any portion is retained, Landlord must send Tenant an itemized statement of the amount retained and the reasons within that same one month (R.S. 9:3251(A)). Willful failure to comply exposes Landlord to statutory damages of the greater of $300 or twice the wrongfully retained amount (R.S. 9:3252).

  5. DISCLOSURES If the Premises were built before 1978, Landlord must provide the federal Lead Warning Statement and any known lead-based paint records, plus the EPA pamphlet, before Tenant signs (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d). [Attach Lead-Based Paint Disclosure if applicable.]

  6. ENTRY Neither the Civil Code lease articles nor the Lessee's Deposit Act set a required notice period for Landlord to enter the Premises. The parties agree Landlord will provide [NOTICE PERIOD, e.g. 24 hours'] notice except in an emergency, and will enter only at reasonable times.

  7. MAINTENANCE AND USE Tenant will keep the Premises in a clean and sanitary condition and use it only as a residence. Landlord will maintain the Premises in a condition fit for its intended use, consistent with the lessor's obligations under the Civil Code lease articles.

  8. TERMINATION A fixed-term lease ends on the stated end date without further notice unless the Lease provides for renewal. A month-to-month lease ends on at least 10 calendar days' written notice before the end of the month (art. 2728). Louisiana has no statute setting a separate rent-increase notice period; a rent change on a month-to-month tenancy is handled by giving this same 10-day notice and offering new terms.

Landlord Signature: _____________________ Date: _______ [LANDLORD NAME]

Tenant Signature: _____________________ Date: _______ [TENANT NAME]

Note: This Lease is governed by the Louisiana Civil Code lease articles (arts. 2668-2777) and the Lessee's Deposit Act (La. R.S. 9:3251 et seq.). This is a Louisiana skeleton for a residential lease agreement. For the complete, customizable full Residential Lease Agreement template.

Louisiana Requirements for Residential Lease Agreement

No Statutory Cap on the Security Deposit

Louisiana sets no maximum amount a landlord may charge as a security deposit. La. R.S. 9:3251 et seq. (the Lessee's Deposit Act) governs only how the deposit is returned and itemized, not how large it may be.

Return the Deposit Within One Month

Return the security deposit to the tenant within one month (about 30 days) after the lease terminates, less any amount reasonably necessary to remedy the tenant's default or wear beyond ordinary use (La. R.S. 9:3251).

Send an Itemized Statement if Retaining Any Deposit

If any portion of the deposit is kept, send the tenant an itemized statement of the amount retained and the reasons within one month after the lease terminates (La. R.S. 9:3251(A)). A landlord's willful failure to comply can expose it to damages of the greater of $300 or twice the wrongfully retained amount (La. R.S. 9:3252).

Provide the Federal Lead-Based Paint Disclosure

For any unit built before 1978, provide the federal Lead Warning Statement, disclose known lead-based paint hazards, and give the tenant the EPA lead-hazard pamphlet before signing (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d).

No Statutory Entry-Notice Period

Neither the Civil Code lease articles (arts. 2668-2777) nor the Lessee's Deposit Act set a required notice period before a landlord may enter the premises. Louisiana has no statutory landlord-entry-notice rule, so the lease should state a reasonable notice period by agreement.

No Statutory Late-Fee Cap or Grace Period

Louisiana has no statute capping late fees or requiring a grace period before rent is considered late. Any late charge and grace period come from the freedom-of-contract lease terms under La. Civ. Code arts. 2668-2777.

Give 10 Days' Notice to End a Month-to-Month Lease

End a month-to-month tenancy by giving at least 10 calendar days' written notice before the end of the month (La. Civ. Code art. 2728). Louisiana has no separate statute setting a rent-increase notice period; a rent change on a month-to-month lease is typically handled with this same 10-day notice.

No Statewide or Local Rent Control

Louisiana has no statewide rent control, and a lessor's property rights may not be altered or diminished except by state law, which preempts local rent-control ordinances (La. R.S. 9:3258).

Frequently Asked Questions

A Louisiana lease should identify the landlord (lessor) and tenant (lessee), the rental address, the rent amount and due date, the lease term, the security deposit amount, the federal lead-based paint disclosure for pre-1978 housing, and each party's maintenance duties. Louisiana has no separate state-mandated lease form; the Civil Code lease articles (arts. 2668-2777) and the Lessee's Deposit Act (R.S. 9:3251 et seq.) supply the default rules the lease operates under.

Louisiana sets no statutory maximum. R.S. 9:3251 et seq. governs how the deposit is returned and itemized, not how large it may be, so the amount is whatever the lease specifies. Whatever the amount, it must be returned within one month after the lease ends, less any portion reasonably needed for unpaid rent or damage beyond ordinary wear.

Yes. You can generate a Louisiana lease agreement at no cost covering the rent, term, deposit, and disclosure terms described here. Attorney review is available afterward as an optional add-on if you want a licensed attorney to look over the finished document before you sign.

No. A residential lease in Louisiana does not need to be notarized or witnessed to be valid under the Civil Code lease articles. Both landlord and tenant simply sign the written lease, or the lease can be oral, though a written lease is strongly recommended so the terms are clear and enforceable.

Louisiana has no statute setting a required notice period for a landlord to enter. Neither the Civil Code lease articles nor the Lessee's Deposit Act address entry notice, so the practice is to arrange entry at a reasonable time, and many leases build in a specific notice period by contract even though the law does not require one.

The federal lead-based paint disclosure applies to any rental unit built before 1978, requiring the landlord to disclose known lead-paint hazards and provide an EPA pamphlet (42 U.S.C. Section 4852d). No additional Louisiana-specific disclosure requirement is established in the primary sources reviewed for this lease.

Either party ends a month-to-month lease by giving at least 10 calendar days' notice before the end of the month, under La. Civ. Code art. 2728. Louisiana has no statute setting a separate notice period for raising the rent; a rent increase on a month-to-month lease is typically handled by giving that same 10-day termination notice and offering new terms.

No. Louisiana has no statute capping residential late fees or requiring a grace period before rent is considered late. Late charges and any grace period are governed by whatever the lease itself states, under the general freedom-of-contract principles in the Civil Code lease articles (arts. 2668-2777).