Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Louisiana
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Louisiana.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Louisiana maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Louisiana's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: The Lessee’s Deposit Act (La. R.S. 9:3251 to 9:3254) does not limit how much a landlord may collect as a security deposit. A few online guides claim a cap of one month for unfurnished units or two months for furnished units, but no such limit appears in Louisiana law; the amount is set by the lease.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
Acts 2018, No. 416 (effective 2019-01-01): Raised the statutory penalty base for a landlord’s willful failure to return a deposit from $200 to $300, so a tenant now recovers the wrongfully retained amount plus the greater of $300 or twice that amount (La. R.S. 9:3252).
What Louisiana renters get wrong
In Louisiana, a landlord must return your residential security deposit within one month after the lease ends, along with an itemized statement of any amount kept and the reason for keeping it. To make sure that statement reaches you, the law requires you to give the landlord a forwarding address when the lease terminates. Louisiana sets no cap on how much a landlord can charge for a deposit, so the amount is whatever your lease says. If a landlord willfully refuses to return your money, you can recover the wrongfully withheld portion plus $300 or twice that portion, whichever is greater, along with court costs and reasonable attorney fees. The clock on that penalty is specific: not refunding within 30 days after your written demand counts as a willful failure. These rules come from the Lessee’s Deposit Act, La. R.S. 9:3251 to 9:3254, and a landlord cannot make you waive them in the lease.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Louisiana?
There is no legal limit. The Lessee’s Deposit Act does not cap the amount, so it is set by your lease. Some online guides mention a one-month or two-month cap, but no such limit exists in Louisiana law.
How long does a landlord have to return my deposit in Louisiana?
One month (30 days) after the lease ends. If the landlord keeps any part of it, they must send you an itemized statement of the deductions within that same one-month window. You must give the landlord a forwarding address when you move out so the statement can reach you.
What is the penalty if my Louisiana landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
For a willful failure, you can recover the wrongfully withheld amount plus $300 or twice that amount, whichever is greater, along with court costs and reasonable attorney fees. Not refunding within 30 days after you send a written demand counts as a willful failure.
Does my Louisiana landlord have to pay interest or use a separate account?
No. State law does not require the landlord to pay interest on your deposit or to hold it in a separate or escrow account. Interest is owed only if your lease specifically provides for it.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.