Louisiana · LA · updated 2026
In Louisiana, a landlord must return a security deposit within 30 calendar days
Quick answer
A Louisiana landlord has 30 calendar days after the lease ends to return your deposit or send an itemized list of deductions. Miss it in bad faith and the landlord can end up owing you more than the deposit itself.
Under Louisiana security deposit law, a Louisiana landlord has 30 calendar days to return your security deposit, counted from when the lease ends. By statute, Louisiana sets no statutory cap on how much a landlord can charge. If the landlord misses the deadline or keeps money you are owed, you can push back in writing and, if needed, in small claims court.
- Return deadline
- 30 calendar days
- Deadline counted from
- the lease ends
- Itemized statement
- Required
- Move-in condition list
- Not required by statute
- Maximum deposit
- No statutory cap
- Interest on deposit
- Not required
Calculate your exact Louisiana deadline
Enter your move-out date to see the exact calendar date the deadline lands on. It runs on your device, so nothing you type is uploaded.
What a Louisiana landlord can deduct
- Unpaid rent and unpaid utilities you owe under the lease
- Repair of damage beyond ordinary wear and tear (not normal aging, fading, or minor marks)
- An itemized written statement of every deduction (Louisiana requires it, so ask for it in writing)
If the landlord withholds in bad faith
willful failure to comply: the wrongfully retained portion plus the greater of $300 or 2x the amount wrongfully retained; court may award costs and attorney's fees in its discretion
How to get your deposit back in Louisiana
- Document the unit's condition at move-out with dated photos of every room (a move-in / move-out checklist keeps it organized).
- Confirm your exact return deadline with the deadline calculator.
- If the deadline passes, send a written demand letter citing the statute and the amount owed.
- If it is still ignored, you can file in small claims court.
Common Louisiana deposit disputes
- The deadline passed and you have heard nothing
- Send a written demand letter citing the statute and the amount owed. Keep proof you sent it.
- You got money back but disagree with the deductions
- Louisiana requires an itemized statement, so ask for it in writing first, then dispute anything charged as ordinary wear and tear.
- You are still deciding whether the case is worth it
- Confirm the exact deadline below, gather your dated move-out photos, and read the penalty your state allows before you commit.
Frequently asked
- How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Louisiana?
- In Louisiana, a landlord must return a security deposit within 30 calendar days.
- How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Louisiana?
- Louisiana statute sets no maximum on the security deposit a landlord can charge.
- Can my Louisiana landlord keep my deposit for cleaning or normal wear?
- Deductions are generally limited to unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear and tear. Louisiana requires the landlord to give an itemized statement of deductions.
- Does a Louisiana landlord have to pay interest on my deposit?
- No. Louisiana does not require the landlord to pay interest on the security deposit.
- What if my Louisiana landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
- willful failure to comply: the wrongfully retained portion plus the greater of $300 or 2x the amount wrongfully retained; court may award costs and attorney's fees in its discretion
Deposit or itemized statement of retained amounts due within one month after lease termination (§ 9:3251); not if tenant abandons or leaves early without notice. Willful failure after demand: greater of $300 or 2x wrongfully retained (§ 9:3252, since 2019). No cap; no move-in checklist; no interest.