A Louisiana lease agreement helps landlords and property management companies enter into a legally binding contract with a tenant who wishes to rent residential property and pay on a monthly basis.
The terms and conditions in the document need to adhere to Louisiana laws, and some of these details include rent and security deposit specifics, contact and identifying information of both parties, a description of the premises being leased, or health, safety, and other hazard disclosures.
Laws
Required Lease Disclosures
When executing a lease agreement, there are certain requirements for landlords and tenants mandated by federal and state laws (Chapter 9, Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Law). For example, Louisiana landlords have only one important disclosure to make regarding the presence of any lead-based paint on the premises (Title 42 U.S. Code § 4852(d)).
Security Deposit
In Louisiana, there is no statute governing security deposit maximums, and landlords may request as much as they deem appropriate.
Landlords are required to return a tenant’s security deposit within one month of a tenant’s termination of the lease (RS 9:3251).
Landlord Right of Entry
Louisiana landlords are not required to give notice before entering the premises in emergency and non-emergency situations (No statute).
If a landlord illegally locks out a tenant, puts their possessions on the street, or uses self-help remedies to evict them, they may be liable for damages.
Notice to Terminate
For a lease with a fixed date, no notice is required by a landlord, as the lease simply expires (CC 2720).
For a yearly lease with no end date, a landlord is required to give a tenant 30 days’ written notice of the termination. For a month-to-month lease, a landlord is required to give a tenant ten days’ written notice of the termination. For a week-to-week lease, a landlord is required to give a tenant five days’ written notice of the termination (CC 2728).
Domestic Violence
Landlords and local housing authorities may not terminate a tenancy due to domestic abuse, family violence, or dating violence but may terminate the tenancy and any assistance provided to the perpetrator (RS 40:506(D)).
Repairs
All landlords are required to make repairs necessary to maintain the premises in a habitable condition, except for the repairs a tenant must make (CC 2691).
Sample
The Louisiana residential lease agreement template below can be downloaded in PDF or Word format.
