How can a lease be terminated in the State of Louisiana?

A month-to-month tenancy can be terminated by either party giving the other party 10 days written notice. A written lease for a fixed term terminates at the end of the lease period, and cannot be terminated earlier unless the parties agree. There are some special circumstances which will allow for a lease to be terminated earlier, such as relocation for active military personnel, loss of job, severe illness, etc.

On what grounds can a landlord evict a tenant?

Some of the common reasons for which tenants are evicted include failure to pay the rent, violation of the lease, damage to the premises, failure to move out after the lease has expired, causing disturbance, and illegal activities on or around the premises.

A tenant must be given notice before being evicted. The landlord must give 5 days notice where there is cause for eviction, and 10 days notice if there is simply a termination of a month-to-month tenancy.

A landlord may not cut off utilities or necessary services, lock a tenant out or otherwise try to take possession of the premises by any means other than through the courts.

Louisiana laws do not expressly provide for rules on when an eviction is an unlawful retaliation against a tenant for exercising his/her rights, making it difficult for a tenant to prove a case for unlawful retaliation.



The foregoing summary is provided for information purposes only and is not to be considered legal or business advice. The information may not be complete, accurate or applicable for any particular situation and should not be relied upon.

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