Free Louisiana Lease Agreement Template

Last updated July 17, 2026

Download a free Louisiana lease agreement template

A Louisiana residential lease agreement records the deal between a landlord and tenant for a home in Louisiana. It identifies the parties and premises, sets the rent and term, allocates utilities and maintenance responsibilities, and provides a written place for property rules. The free PDF and Word versions on this page are labeled for Louisiana and are intended as a practical starting document—not a substitute for checking which statutes, disclosures, or local rules apply to a particular property.

The principal research authority for this page is Louisiana Civil Code articles 2668 et seq.; Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 9; Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure article 4701. Research scope: Louisiana's Civil Code supplies the core lease rules, while targeted Revised Statutes govern residential deposits, applications, foreclosure and protected-tenant disclosures, and the Code of Civil Procedure governs notice to vacate; parish, municipal, and program overlays are separate gates. Because residential rules can depend on property type, tenancy length, location, and regulated-housing status, review the completed agreement and any required addenda before signing.

Louisiana lease topics to review

The current research draft for Louisiana identifies the following topics as relevant to residential lease preparation. Use them as a checklist, and verify each rule's scope, current text, and exceptions before adding a term to the lease.

• Louisiana starts with the Civil Code definition of lease—consent, the thing, and rent or another agreed price—and adds targeted residential statutes rather than one unitary residential-landlord act.
• Louisiana's Civil Code defines the essential lease bargain and assigns core performance duties to both lessor and lessee.
• Louisiana generally requires a residential deposit balance and itemized deduction statement within one month after termination, subject to the statute's address and abandonment conditions.
• Louisiana's Civil Code governs maintenance and urgent repairs but the reviewed statewide provisions do not supply a general numeric advance-notice period for routine landlord entry.
• Louisiana requires conditional foreclosure disclosures and a prompt in-tenancy notice, including for subsidized housing, with a defined institutional exception.
• Louisiana has period-specific Civil Code notices for indeterminate leases and a separate five-day procedural notice-to-vacate framework.
• Under current Louisiana Civil Code article 2681, a lease may be oral or written, but an immovable lease is not effective against third persons until recorded.
• Louisiana authorizes local enforcement of housing and related public-health ordinances, so a statewide lease needs a property-specific parish and municipality gate.

The final lease should not waive protections that cannot lawfully be waived. If a selected term conflicts with a controlling statute, official form, court order, housing-program rule, or local ordinance, the controlling rule applies even when the parties signed different language.

What to include in a Louisiana residential lease

• Landlord, tenant, and premises details — use the parties' full legal names, the complete Louisiana property address, and a clear description of included parking, storage, furnishings, or shared spaces.
• Term and rent — state whether the tenancy is fixed-term or periodic, when it begins, when rent is due, accepted payment methods, and what happens at the end of the stated term.
• Deposits and charges — identify each deposit, prepaid amount, fee, and late-payment term separately so it can be compared with the current Louisiana rule that applies to the property.
• Utilities, maintenance, and access — allocate day-to-day responsibilities without attempting to transfer a nonwaivable landlord or tenant duty.
• Rules and addenda — document pets, smoking, parking, guests, insurance, association rules, and any federal, state, local, or property-specific disclosure that applies.
• Notices and signatures — provide reliable notice addresses and retain a complete signed copy for every party.

State and local checks before signing

Louisiana authorizes local enforcement of housing and related public-health ordinances, so a statewide lease needs a property-specific parish and municipality gate. Confirm the property address and the current local text before signing.

Federal requirements can also apply. For example, most pre-1978 housing requires the federal lead-based-paint disclosure process. Manufactured housing, short-term occupancy, owner-occupied rooms, subsidized housing, and rent-regulated property may follow a different legal path from an ordinary residential lease.

Use the official source linked below to confirm the current statewide text. For a disputed tenancy, an eviction or termination, unusual fees, regulated housing, or a property in a city with additional renter protections, obtain advice about the specific facts before relying on a template.

How to use the free Louisiana template

1. Download the Louisiana PDF when you want a printable blank, or the Word file when you want to edit the text electronically.
2. Complete the parties, property, rent, term, deposit, utilities, maintenance, access, and notice fields.
3. Attach the disclosures and property-specific addenda that actually apply.
4. Compare the completed document with the current official source and local requirements.
5. Give every party the same final version to review before anyone signs, then retain the fully executed copy.

The guided builder is available when you prefer questions and a generated preview. Whether you use the free template or the builder, confirm the final agreement against the property and the parties' actual arrangement.