The Louisiana rental agreements are documents that help establish a relationship between a landlord and a tenant for the use of real property. These contracts set the amount of the rent, the duration of the tenancy, and other terms. All agreements are subject to Louisiana landlord-tenant laws.
Louisiana Rental Agreement Types
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Common Rental Agreements in Louisiana
- New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors Residential Lease – this template, for use by members of the REALTORS® Boards only, is heavily used by residential units throughout Louisiana. It provides an extensive list of rules and procedures, including specifics that go as far as outlining the tenant’s responsibility for the condition of the unit.
Louisiana Required Lease Disclosures
- Lead-Based Paint Disclosure (required for some) – If the property was constructed before 1978, a Louisiana lease for a dwelling unit must include a lead-based paint disclosure form and EPA-approved pamphlet regarding the dangers of lead paint to tenants in addition to any known hazards that exist on the property.
To learn more about required disclosures in Louisiana, click here.
Louisiana Landlord Tenant Laws
- Warranty of Habitability – Louisiana’s state laws do not address many habitability issues. Landlords must make repairs if their tenant requests the repair in writing. The repair must be made within 14 days of notice (or sooner for emergencies). If repairs are not made a tenant may not withhold rent but they do have the right to perform a repair and deduct.
- Evictions –Louisiana landlords may evict tenants for a number of reasons including, but not limited to failure to pay rent, a violation of a leasing term, or no lease/end of lease. Landlords must provide tenants with a prior notice to quit. As a result, most evictions in this state occur in under a week’s time or can take months.
- Security Deposits – Louisiana does not limit the value of security deposits charged by landlords. They do require all remaining funds of the deposit to be returned in less than 1 month after a tenant’s lease ends.
- Lease Termination – Louisiana tenants need to issue a 10-day notice when they intend to break a month-to-month lease. A fixed-term lease can also be terminated early under the following conditions: active military duty, unit uninhabitability, domestic violence, or landlord harassment, etc.
- Rent Increases & Fees – In Louisiana, landlords are not required to justify or give notice when they intend to raise rent rates. There is no guidance on how much a landlord may charge as a late fee; however, for bounced check fees there is a maximum of a $25 return fee or 5% of the amount of the check (whichever is greater). All fee amounts must be outlined in the lease.
- Landlord Entry – Louisiana landlords are legally allowed to enter an occupied unit without notice. Any limitations on this right must be set forth in a lease.
- Settling Legal Disputes – Louisiana has no limit on eviction cases but most small claims courts are capped at $5,000 limit. Most of these parishes utilize a 10-year statute of limitations.
To learn more about landlord tenant laws in Louisiana, click here.
