Louisiana Security Deposit Law Explained
If you rented a home or apartment in Louisiana, the deposit dispute usually comes down to a few concrete facts: whether the lease ended, whether you gave a forwarding address, what the landlord kept, and whether you made a written demand after the deposit was not handled properly.
The basic rule
Louisiana's main deposit rule is La. R.S. 9:3251. The landlord generally must return the deposit within one month after the lease terminates.
The landlord may keep only the portion reasonably necessary to remedy tenant default or unreasonable wear to the premises.
If the landlord keeps money
If any portion of the deposit is retained, the landlord must send an itemized statement accounting for the amount retained and the reasons for keeping it.
That statement is supposed to be sent within one month after the tenancy terminates. A vague explanation is not the same as a useful itemized accounting.
Forwarding address matters
Louisiana says the tenant shall furnish the landlord a forwarding address at lease termination.
The safest approach is to give that address in writing and keep proof. That makes it harder for the landlord to claim they did not know where to send the refund or itemized statement.
Written demand and willful failure
Louisiana's stronger remedy is tied to a written-demand sequence. Under La. R.S. 9:3252, failure to remit within 30 days after written demand for a refund can constitute willful failure.
Willful failure can support recovery of the wrongfully retained deposit amount plus $300 or twice the wrongfully retained amount, whichever is greater.
That is why written demand and proof of delivery matter. The one-month rule tells you when the landlord should have acted. The written demand helps preserve the stronger next step if the landlord still does not comply.
Abandonment exception
Louisiana's ordinary one-month return and itemization rule does not apply the same way when the tenant abandons the premises without required notice or before lease termination.
If the landlord is claiming abandonment, the facts around notice, move-out, possession, and communication may matter.
Official sources used for this guide
Source reviewed: April 2026.
Important: This page provides general educational information and is not legal advice.