Squatters' Rights in Louisiana
Louisiana rules on squatters & abandoned property for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.
Short answer: No affidavit-based police removal statute was found. Criminal route: under the criminal trespass statute, a 'squatter' (anyone remaining on property without a right of possession, ownership, occupancy, or lease interest) commits trespass by remaining after a lawful possessor directs them… La. R.S. 14:63(C)(2)(a)(i)-(ii), (b), (G); La. C.C.P. arts. 4702, 4731
The rules in Louisiana
| Squatters / unauthorized occupants | No affidavit-based police removal statute was found. Criminal route: under the criminal trespass statute, a 'squatter' (anyone remaining on property without a right of possession, ownership, occupancy, or lease interest) commits trespass by remaining after a lawful possessor directs them to leave verbally, by written notice, or by posting conspicuous signage that the property is privately owned and trespass is prohibited. Penalties: first offense $100-$500 fine and/or up to 30 days; escalating for repeat offenses. Civil route: the owner delivers a written 5-day notice to vacate to the occupant and then files a summary eviction (rule to show cause); an occupant who stays more than 5 days after a proper notice to vacate also 'remains' unlawfully for trespass purposes. C.C.P. art. 4702: https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=112074. 2024 bills (HB 850, HB 895) proposing sheriff removal on owner request and a 2025 bill (HB 262) were found in search but their enactment was not confirmed; the current R.S. 14:63 text still uses 'squatter'. Bills to add a sheriff/police removal process for unauthorized occupants (2024 HB 850 and HB 895; 2025 HB 262) died in committee. |
|---|---|
| Belongings left behind | No statute — no Louisiana statute was found setting a notice, storage, or sale procedure for a tenant's belongings. After the required notice to vacate, the landlord may retake possession without further court process on a reasonable belief the tenant abandoned the premises (indicia: ending residential occupancy, returning keys, removing furnishings or other movables). In parishes under a federal disaster declaration, leaving the residence is not evidence of abandonment for 30 days after the declaration; violating that rule entitles the residential tenant to $500 or twice the monthly rent, whichever is greater. Disposal of belongings is otherwise governed by general civil-law liability; landlords should get legal advice before discarding property. Source: La. C.C.P. art. 4731(B)-(C) |
Related questions
Louisiana vs. neighboring states
| State | Squatters / unauthorized occupants | Belongings left behind |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | No affidavit-based police removal statute was found. Criminal route: under the criminal trespass statute, a 'squatter' (anyone remaining on property without a right of possession, ownership, occupancy, or lease interest) commits trespass by remaining after a lawful possessor directs them to leave verbally, by written notice, or by posting conspicuous signage that the property is privately owned and trespass is prohibited. Penalties: first offense $100-$500 fine and/or up to 30 days; escalating for repeat offenses. Civil route: the owner delivers a written 5-day notice to vacate to the occupant and then files a summary eviction (rule to show cause); an occupant who stays more than 5 days after a proper notice to vacate also 'remains' unlawfully for trespass purposes. La. R.S. 14:63(C)(2)(a)(i)-(ii), (b), (G); La. C.C.P. arts. 4702, 4731 | No statute — no Louisiana statute was found setting a notice, storage, or sale procedure for a tenant's belongings. After the required notice to vacate, the landlord may retake possession without further court process on a reasonable belief the tenant abandoned the premises (indicia: ending residential occupancy, returning keys, removing furnishings or other movables). In parishes under a federal disaster declaration, leaving the residence is not evidence of abandonment for 30 days after the declaration; violating that rule entitles the residential tenant to $500 or twice the monthly rent, whichever is greater. La. C.C.P. art. 4731(B)-(C) |
| Arkansas | Unlawful squatting is a crime (Act 238 of 2025, new Ark. Code § 5-39-215). A person commits it by knowingly entering and residing on another's premises (dwelling, commercial building, or vacant land) without lawful authority when: the premises were not open to the public; the person cannot produce a deed or mortgage statement in their name, a lease signed by the owner or the owner's representative, a written or electronic agreement authorizing entry, or a rent receipt dated within the last 60 days; the owner has told the person to leave or reported the squatting to police; and no litigation is pending between owner and occupant. Police may accept a report only from the owner or the owner's authorized representative, and officers acting in good faith are immune. Penalties: first offense Class B misdemeanor, second Class A misdemeanor, third Class D felony. Producing a false document is a Class D felony, and so is a false report of squatting. The owner also has a private cause of action for damages, restitution, and attorney's fees. Current tenants, people with a valid occupancy agreement, and the owner's immediate family are excluded. Ark. Code § 5-39-215 (Act 238 of 2025, HB 1049); § 5-54-122(c)(1)(G) | When a lease ends, voluntarily or involuntarily, any property the tenant leaves on the premises is treated as abandoned, and the landlord may dispose of it as the landlord sees fit without liability to the tenant. The statute requires no notice, storage period, or sale procedure. Property the tenant places on the premises is also subject to a landlord's lien for payments the tenant agreed to make. Ark. Code § 18-16-108 |
| Mississippi | Real Property Owners Protection Act (effective July 1, 2025). A 'squatter' is a trespasser who stays on the premises, or a tenant's invitee who stays after the rental agreement ends. Squatters do not get tenant eviction rights; people with heirship rights are excluded. Process: the owner or agent files a sworn affidavit with local law enforcement giving the property address, the filer's name, address and status, and supporting documents. Within 24 hours, law enforcement must serve a citation ordering the person to leave. The person has 24 hours to vacate, or 3 days to tell the municipal or justice court they will contest. If they do not contest, they may be removed immediately without a writ, and the owner and officers are not liable for damage to their property. If contested, a hearing is held within 7 days under a preponderance standard; a certified deed showing the complainant as owner of record leads to a squatter finding. The judge then orders the squatter out within 24 hours. Squatting after written notice to leave is a crime. Knowingly using false documents to claim or rent out someone else's property is a felony: 2-5 years in prison plus fines equal to rent lost or money collected. Landlord-tenant law (§ 89-8-3) does not give rights to trespassers. 2025 Miss. Laws HB 1200 (Real Property Owners Protection Act), approved Apr. 10, 2025, eff. July 1, 2025; Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-3 (as amended) | The summons must warn that belongings left behind after a court-ordered move-out may be thrown away. If the tenant leaves by the court's move-out date (normally 7 days after judgment) and leaves property behind, the landlord may dispose of it without further notice. If the tenant is removed under a warrant, the landlord must give reasonable access for 72 hours after the warrant is executed so the tenant can remove property, including a manufactured home. After 72 hours the landlord may move what remains to the curb, a garbage area, or another agreed location, and has no duty to preserve it. Posting the warrant on the door does not count as execution; officers must actually remove the occupants. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-35(2), 89-8-39(1)-(3) (as amended by 2025 SB 2328); § 89-8-13(6) |
| Texas | Since Sept. 1, 2025 (SB 1333), the owner of residential property (or agent) may file a sworn complaint in a statutory form with the county sheriff or constable asking for immediate removal of a person who unlawfully entered and is occupying a dwelling without consent, if the property was not open to the public when the person entered, there is no pending litigation between owner and occupant, the owner has told the person to leave, and the person is not a current or former tenant or an immediate family member. After verifying the complainant is the record owner, the officer serves a notice to immediately vacate (hand delivery or posting on the front door) and puts the owner in possession; the officer may stand by (hourly fee) while locks are changed and belongings are placed at the property line. Fee equals the writ-of-possession fee. A person wrongfully removed may sue for possession, actual damages, exemplary damages of three times fair market rent, costs and attorney's fees. Presenting a fake lease or deed to stay on property is a Class A misdemeanor; listing or renting property without authority is a first-degree felony. Tex. Prop. Code ch. 24B (24B.001-24B.006); Tex. Penal Code Sec. 32.56 (as added by SB 1333), 32.57 | No general abandoned-property procedure; the lease largely governs. A landlord may remove the contents of premises abandoned by a tenant (an exception to the lockout ban). Seizure of property for unpaid rent under the landlord's lien requires an underlined/bold lien clause in a written lease, a peaceful seizure, a notice and itemized list left in the unit, and before any sale at least 30 days' notice by first-class and certified mail; surplus proceeds go to the tenant within 30 days. Deceased sole tenant: landlord may remove and store property and may discard it if the designated contact fails to remove it within 30 days after a certified-mail request (unless the lease sets another procedure). Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.0081(b)(2); 54.041-54.046; 92.014 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Squatters' Rights in Louisiana FAQ
How do you remove a squatter in Louisiana?
No affidavit-based police removal statute was found. Criminal route: under the criminal trespass statute, a 'squatter' (anyone remaining on property without a right of possession, ownership, occupancy, or lease interest) commits trespass by remaining after a lawful possessor directs them to leave verbally, by written notice, or by posting conspicuous signage that the property is privately owned and trespass is prohibited. Penalties: first offense $100-$500 fine and/or up to 30 days; escalating for repeat offenses. Civil route: the owner delivers a written 5-day notice to vacate to the occupant and then files a summary eviction (rule to show cause); an occupant who stays more than 5 days after a proper notice to vacate also 'remains' unlawfully for trespass purposes. (La. R.S. 14:63(C)(2)(a)(i)-(ii), (b), (G); La. C.C.P. arts. 4702, 4731)
What can a landlord do with a tenant's abandoned property in Louisiana?
No statute — no Louisiana statute was found setting a notice, storage, or sale procedure for a tenant's belongings. After the required notice to vacate, the landlord may retake possession without further court process on a reasonable belief the tenant abandoned the premises (indicia: ending residential occupancy, returning keys, removing furnishings or other movables). In parishes under a federal disaster declaration, leaving the residence is not evidence of abandonment for 30 days after the declaration; violating that rule entitles the residential tenant to $500 or twice the monthly rent, whichever is greater. (La. C.C.P. art. 4731(B)-(C))
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.