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Louisiana security deposit: 1 month + 15 days to get it back

The deposit must be returned within one month after the lease ends. If the landlord keeps any part, the itemized statement is due within one month, or within 15 days after that one-month date (roughly 45 days total). The 15-day window is the Act 63 (2026) change, effective Aug 1, 2026. The statute uses 'one month', not a day count.

What the law requires

Itemized statement: If any part is kept, the landlord must send the tenant an itemized statement accounting for the amount retained and giving the reasons. A landlord may keep amounts reasonably necessary to remedy a tenant default or unreasonable wear to the premises. The statute sets no receipt or documentation threshold.
Forwarding address: The statute says the tenant shall furnish the landlord a forwarding address at the termination of the lease, so statements can be sent there.
If the landlord breaks the rules: If the landlord willfully fails to comply, the tenant can recover the wrongfully retained portion plus the greater of $300 or twice the wrongfully retained portion. Failing to pay within 30 days after a written demand for refund counts as willful failure. The statute does not mention attorney fees (one secondary source says fees and costs are awarded).
Deposit cap: No statutory cap found in R.S. 9:3251-3252.
Small claims limit: $5,000 in City Court small claims division or Justice of the Peace Court
Statute: La. R.S. 9:3251 and 9:3252

Recent changes

Act 63 of 2026 (HB 292), signed May 11, 2026, effective Aug 1, 2026, amended R.S. 9:3251(A): a landlord keeping part of a deposit may send the itemized statement within one month after the tenancy ends or within 15 days after that one-month date. R.S. 9:3252 last amended by Act 416 of 2018 (effective Jan 1, 2019).

If your landlord misses the deadline

Write down your dates and gather proof: move-out date, the date you gave your forwarding address, the deposit amount, and anything the landlord sent. Photos and receipts help.
Send a written demand by certified mail, keep the receipt, and cite La. R.S. 9:3251 and 9:3252. Give a date to respond.
If you still aren't paid, file in City Court small claims division or Justice of the Peace Court. Deposit claims up to $5,000 can be filed there, usually without a lawyer. Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

What a Louisiana demand letter looks like

Re: Demand for return of security deposit / Rental address: [Street address, unit, city, state ZIP]

Dear [Landlord name]:

I rented the property above from you under a lease that began on [lease start date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount] on [date paid]. I moved out and returned possession on [move-out date].

My forwarding address is [forwarding address]. Please send my deposit and any required statement to that address.

[A.] I have not received my deposit or an itemized statement of deductions. Under La. R.S. 9:3251 and 9:3252, the time allowed for returning my deposit and sending any required itemized statement has passed. [Confirm the exact deadline in the statute and add it here.]

Preview of the first part of letter one. Yellow marks the parts you fill in.

Common questions

How long does a landlord in Louisiana have to return a security deposit?

What happens if a Louisiana landlord keeps the deposit wrongfully?

If the landlord willfully fails to comply, the tenant can recover the wrongfully retained portion plus the greater of $300 or twice the wrongfully retained portion. Failing to pay within 30 days after a written demand for refund counts as willful failure. The statute does not mention attorney fees (one secondary source says fees and costs are awarded).

Do I have to give my Louisiana landlord a forwarding address?

The statute says the tenant shall furnish the landlord a forwarding address at the termination of the lease, so statements can be sent there.

Where do I sue for my deposit in Louisiana?

Deposit claims up to $5,000 can be filed in City Court small claims division or Justice of the Peace Court. Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

Other states

Rules reviewed October 2026. Laws change, so confirm with the statute before you rely on this page.