What notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Louisiana?
When occupancy ends for nonpayment or any other reason, the lessor must deliver a written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days. The lessee may waive this notice in a written lease clause.
When occupancy ends for nonpayment or any other reason, a Louisiana lessor must deliver a written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days. The lessee may waive this notice in a written lease clause.
Worked example for Louisiana
Example: Occupancy has ended for nonpayment of rent, and you deliver a written notice to vacate on May 1, 2026. Unless the lessee waived this notice in a written lease clause, the notice must give at least 5 days, so the period may not end before May 6, 2026.
Louisiana timelines and limits
Notice to vacate
Written notice giving at least 5 days, when occupancy has ended for nonpayment or any other reason
Waiver
The lessee may waive this notice in a written lease clause
Louisiana FAQ
How much notice does a Louisiana lessor have to give to recover possession after nonpayment?
A written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days, under La. C.C.P. art. 4701.
Does this notice apply only to nonpayment?
No. It applies when occupancy has ended because of the termination of the lease by expiration of its term, action by the lessor, nonpayment of rent, or for any other reason, and the lessor wishes to obtain possession.
Can the notice be waived?
Yes. The lessee may waive this notice in a written lease clause.
This is general information, not legal advice. The verified rule and official sources above control. Check the source or a local attorney for your situation.
Related Louisiana rules
Eviction court process & timeline
The court sets the eviction hearing (the 'rule') no earlier than the third day after service. If the landlord wins, or the tenant doesn't answer or appear, the court immediately enters a judgment of eviction.
In a justice of the peace court, the cost for an eviction proceeding is up to $120, plus $20 for each additional defendant (La. R.S. 13:2590(A)(2)). A justice of the peace may demand these costs in advance. Evictions filed in city, parish or district courts follow those courts' own cost schedules, which vary and were not reviewed. Statute text: "Eviction proceeding: one hundred twenty dollars, and twenty dollars per additional defendant".
There is no Louisiana statute expressly banning landlord lockouts in La. Civil Code arts. 2668-2729 (Lease) or La. R.S. 9:3201-3261.1. Reviewed by full-text search. Eviction itself must go through the court process in La. C.C.P. arts. 4701-4735. AG guidance (labelled, not law): the Louisiana Attorney General's Moving In / Moving Out guide says a landlord who locks a tenant out may be liable for wrongful-eviction damages.
There is no Louisiana statute barring landlord retaliation in La. Civil Code arts. 2668-2729 (Lease) or La. R.S. 9:3201-3261.1. Reviewed by full-text search.
If a tenant stays in possession after a fixed term longer than a week ends, with no notice to vacate or other objection, the lease is reconducted after one week. A reconducted lease whose term was a month or longer becomes month-to-month.
No state statute allowing tenants to withhold rent or pay it into escrow was found in La. Civil Code arts. 2668-2729 (Lease), La. R.S. 9:3201-3261.1 (lease ancillaries), and La. Code Civ. Proc. arts. 4701-4735 (eviction). Reviewed by full-text search.
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