Baton Rouge Landlord-Tenant Rules
Baton Rouge adds local rules on top of Louisiana landlord-tenant law. Here is what is different, with the city code or agency page behind each rule.
| Rental registration/inspection | No rental registration or rental inspection program was found. Code enforcement is complaint-based. Source: Official source |
|---|---|
| Habitability/code enforcement & complaint line | Report code violations by calling 311. The complaint is sent to the right department and inspected. If a blight violation is confirmed, the owner gets notice to fix it within 15 days and a Blight Court date (9th Floor, City Hall, 222 St. Louis St.). If it is not fixed, the court can enter a judgment with fines and costs, and the City may make the repair and place a lien on the property. Questions about a notice: Department of Development, Neighborhood Improvement, 225-389-8680. A September 2026 news report quoted the City's Development Director as saying the City applies the property maintenance code to rentals, expects tenants to notify the landlord in writing first, and needs the complaint to come from the resident; not confirmed on an official page. Source: Official source |
| Legal aid | Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) helps eligible tenants in East Baton Rouge Parish with evictions, landlord disputes, voucher terminations and deposit refunds. Baton Rouge office: 715 St. Ferdinand St.; intake (225) 448-0331, local (225) 448-0080, or the general application line 1-844-244-7871. SLLS also runs an Eviction Help Desk at Baton Rouge City Court staffed with volunteer attorneys. Eviction Help Desk reference: https://slls.org/en/events/. Its days and whether it gives same-day representation were not confirmed. No current City-Parish rental assistance program was found; the programs found were COVID-era. Source: Official source |
Eviction cases in Baton Rouge are heard in: Baton Rouge City Court, Civil Division, 233 St. Louis St., Room 251; (225) 389-3017 (property must be inside the City of Baton Rouge)
Right to a lawyer in eviction cases
No. No right-to-counsel program for tenants was found. Official source
Local agencies
- City-Parish Department of Development, Neighborhood Improvement — Inspects code and blight complaints (report via 311) and brings cases in Blight Court. 225-389-8680.
- Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Baton Rouge office — Free eviction and housing legal help for eligible residents. Intake (225) 448-0331.
Frequently asked questions
What landlord-tenant rules does Baton Rouge add on top of Louisiana law?
Rental registration/inspection: No rental registration or rental inspection program was found. Code enforcement is complaint-based.; Habitability/code enforcement & complaint line: Report code violations by calling 311. The complaint is sent to the right department and inspected. If a blight violation is confirmed, the owner gets notice to fix it within 15 days and a Blight Court date (9th Floor, City Hall, 222 St. Louis St.). If it is not fixed, the court can enter a judgment with fines and costs, and the City may make the repair and place a lien on the property. Questions about a notice: Department of Development, Neighborhood Improvement, 225-389-8680.; Legal aid: Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) helps eligible tenants in East Baton Rouge Parish with evictions, landlord disputes, voucher terminations and deposit refunds. Baton Rouge office: 715 St. Ferdinand St.; intake (225) 448-0331, local (225) 448-0080, or the general application line 1-844-244-7871. SLLS also runs an Eviction Help Desk at Baton Rouge City Court staffed with volunteer attorneys.
← All Louisiana landlord-tenant rules
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.