Louisiana Eviction Laws

Louisiana rules on eviction for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.

Short answer: Written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days from delivery. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are not counted in a period this short, so in practice the tenant gets 5 business days. La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 5059(C)(3); La. R.S. 1:55(E); La. C.C. art. 2704

The rules in Louisiana

Notice for unpaid rent	Written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days from delivery. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are not counted in a period this short, so in practice the tenant gets 5 business days. The lease may waive the notice, and many standard leases do. Louisiana has no pay-or-quit cure notice. When rent is unpaid, the landlord may dissolve the lease (C.C. art. 2704, https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=109768) and deliver a 5-day notice to vacate. A written waiver in the lease lets the landlord file immediately (art. 4701). Art. 4701 says 'not less than five days'; under C.C.P. art. 5059(C)(3) legal holidays are excluded from any period of less than seven days (https://www.legis.la.gov/LEGIS/Law.aspx?d=112147), and R.S. 1:55(E) treats all Saturdays and Sundays as legal holidays for art. 5059 (https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=74097). This matches Baton Rouge City Court's guidelines and the AG guide ('five (5) business days'). Source: La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 5059(C)(3); La. R.S. 1:55(E); La. C.C. art. 2704
Notice for lease violations	Same 5-day written notice to vacate (waivable in the lease) once the lease is dissolved for the breach. No statutory cure period. Under C.C. art. 2686, if the tenant uses the property for an unleased purpose or in a way that may damage it, the landlord may get an injunction, dissolve the lease, and recover damages. Possession is then recovered with the art. 4701 notice to vacate: https://www.legis.la.gov/LEGIS/Law.aspx?d=112073 Source: La. C.C. art. 2686; La. C.C.P. art. 4701
Lockouts & utility shutoffs	Self-help eviction is not authorized. A landlord must use the court process (notice to vacate, rule to show cause, judgment, and a warrant executed by the sheriff, constable or marshal). The only exception is a reasonable belief that the tenant abandoned the premises. A landlord who locks out the tenant or removes belongings may be liable for wrongful-eviction damages. Art. 4731(B) allows retaking possession without further process only after the required notice and a reasonable belief of abandonment. Under art. 4731(C) (Acts 2022, No. 442), in parishes under a federal disaster declaration, leaving a residence is not treated as abandonment for 30 days. A landlord who violates that rule owes the residential tenant the greater of $500 or twice the monthly rent, and the tenant may get a TRO without bond. The AG guide confirms that lockouts and putting belongings on the street can create damages liability (https://aglizmurrill.com/Files/Shared/Documents/MovingInOut.pdf). No general statute specifically addressing landlord utility shutoffs was found. Source: La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 4731-4734; La. C.C. art. 2682

How an eviction case works in Louisiana

Eviction cases are heard in: Justice of the peace court, city court or parish court where the property is located; district courts also have jurisdiction.

Lease ends (expiration, termination notice, nonpayment, or other breach)
Landlord delivers a written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days from delivery (C.C.P. art. 4701), unless the lease waives the notice. If the premises are abandoned or the tenant cannot be found, the notice may be posted on the door (art. 4703).
If the tenant stays, the landlord files a rule to show cause why possession should not be delivered, stating the grounds (art. 4731)
Hearing set no earlier than the 3rd day after service of the rule (art. 4732(A))
Judgment of eviction issued immediately if the landlord prevails or the tenant fails to appear; effective for at least 90 days (art. 4732(B))
If the tenant has not vacated within 24 hours after judgment, the court issues a warrant for possession (art. 4733)
Sheriff, constable or marshal executes the warrant with two witnesses and may force entry if necessary (art. 4734)

Landlords: how to evict a tenant in Louisiana — steps, costs, timeline and forms.

Eviction court and fees by county

Free calculators

Notice Deadline Calculator — Enter the date a notice was delivered and see the date it runs out under your state's law.

Templates

Louisiana Eviction Notice (Pay or Quit) — requirements and free draft

Louisiana vs. neighboring states

Eviction: Louisiana vs. neighboring states
State	Notice for unpaid rent	Notice for lease violations	Lockouts & utility shutoffs
Louisiana	Written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days from delivery. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are not counted in a period this short, so in practice the tenant gets 5 business days. The lease may waive the notice, and many standard leases do. La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 5059(C)(3); La. R.S. 1:55(E); La. C.C. art. 2704	Same 5-day written notice to vacate (waivable in the lease) once the lease is dissolved for the breach. No statutory cure period. La. C.C. art. 2686; La. C.C.P. art. 4701	Self-help eviction is not authorized. A landlord must use the court process (notice to vacate, rule to show cause, judgment, and a warrant executed by the sheriff, constable or marshal). The only exception is a reasonable belief that the tenant abandoned the premises. A landlord who locks out the tenant or removes belongings may be liable for wrongful-eviction damages. La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 4731-4734; La. C.C. art. 2682
Arkansas	For a civil unlawful detainer, the landlord must give three days' written notice to vacate before filing. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304	Three days' written notice to vacate before filing an unlawful detainer, the same as for nonpayment. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304	Lockouts and other self-help evictions are not allowed. The Arkansas Supreme Court held in Gorman v. Ratliff (1986) that under the forcible entry and detainer law a landlord may not re-enter a rental or carry away a tenant's belongings without first going to court, and that lease clauses allowing self-help are invalid. A tenant who wins can recover costs and damages. No statute specifically addresses utility shutoffs by a landlord. The legal routes to regain possession are unlawful detainer (§§ 18-60-301 et seq., 3 days' written notice) and eviction in district court (§§ 18-17-901 et seq.), with the sheriff executing the writ. Gorman v. Ratliff, 289 Ark. 332, 712 S.W.2d 888 (1986); Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-60-301 et seq., 18-17-901
Mississippi	3 days. The landlord may give written notice (or email/text, if the tenant agreed in writing to be notified that way) that the rental agreement will end if the rent is not paid within three days. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-13(5)(a)	14 days to cure. The written notice must describe the breach and say the agreement will end on a date at least 14 days after the tenant receives it unless the breach is fixed within a reasonable time of no more than 14 days. If substantially the same breach happens again within 6 months, the agreement can be ended on at least 14 days' written notice with no chance to cure. No notice at all is required for a substantial violation that materially affects health or safety. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-13(3), 89-8-19(4)	The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has no express ban on self-help lockouts or utility shutoffs and no damages remedy for them. The Act provides a court eviction process (§§ 89-8-31 to 89-8-39), and only a sheriff or constable may remove the tenant, under a warrant of removal issued after the move-out date. Since 2025, posting the warrant on the door does not count as executing it; law enforcement must remove the occupants. New in 2026: HB 1404 (approved March 25, 2026) makes it a crime to knowingly fail to apply tenant money collected under a lease for utilities to the utility bill within 60 days of receiving the bill. Penalties run from up to 6 months in jail or a $1,000 fine, up to 20 years or a $50,000 fine, depending on the amount, plus restitution. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-31, 89-8-39(2) (as amended by Laws 2025, ch. 460); 2026 HB 1404 (Code section not yet assigned in the sources reviewed)
Texas	At least 3 days' written notice to vacate before filing, unless the written lease provides a shorter or longer period. For a tenant evicted solely for nonpayment who was not delinquent before the month of the notice, the notice must be a notice to pay rent or vacate. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 24.005(a)	Same 3-day written notice to vacate as for other defaults, unless the lease provides otherwise. No statutory right to cure. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 24.005(a)	Landlord may not intentionally exclude a tenant except by judicial process, with narrow exceptions including a lock change for rent delinquency if allowed by the lease and preceded by written notice (5 days if mailed, 3 days if hand-delivered/posted), and a new key must be available 24 hours a day regardless of payment. Remedy: possession or termination, plus one month's rent + $1,000, actual damages, costs and attorney's fees. Interrupting utilities (except for repairs, construction, emergency, or authorized submetered electric cutoffs) carries the same one month's rent + $1,000 remedy. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.0081; Sec. 92.008

City rules that may add to state law

More Louisiana rental law

Compare eviction in all 50 states and DC →

Louisiana Eviction Laws FAQ

How much notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Louisiana?

Written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days from delivery. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are not counted in a period this short, so in practice the tenant gets 5 business days. The lease may waive the notice, and many standard leases do. (La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 5059(C)(3); La. R.S. 1:55(E); La. C.C. art. 2704)

How much notice is required to evict for a lease violation in Louisiana?

Same 5-day written notice to vacate (waivable in the lease) once the lease is dissolved for the breach. No statutory cure period. (La. C.C. art. 2686; La. C.C.P. art. 4701)

Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Louisiana?

Self-help eviction is not authorized. A landlord must use the court process (notice to vacate, rule to show cause, judgment, and a warrant executed by the sheriff, constable or marshal). The only exception is a reasonable belief that the tenant abandoned the premises. A landlord who locks out the tenant or removes belongings may be liable for wrongful-eviction damages. (La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 4731-4734; La. C.C. art. 2682)

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.