Landlord guide, Louisiana (LA)
Louisiana eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Louisiana starts with the 5-day notice to vacate: 5 business days for unpaid rent (La. C.C.P. art. 4701). Then the landlord files in the justice of the peace, city or parish court, or district court, where the case is called rule to show cause (eviction); the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
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- Notice for unpaid rent
- 5 business days
- La. C.C.P. art. 4701
- Court
- justice of the peace, city or parish court, or district court
- La. C.C.P. arts. 4731, 4732, 4733, 4735
- Time to appeal
- 1 day
- La. C.C.P. arts. 4731, 4732, 4733, 4735
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Louisiana landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Louisiana’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 5-day notice to vacate, 5 business days (La. C.C.P. art. 4701).
The statute gives the tenant no right to stop the eviction by paying inside the period.
Another breach of the lease: the 5-day notice to vacate, 5 business days (La. C.C.P. art. 4701).
No reason, month to month: 10 days’ notice (La. Civil Code art. 2728).
What the statute adds, in English
The notice must give at least five days from delivery, and Louisiana courts tell landlords not to count weekends or holidays. A lease may waive the notice in writing, in which case the landlord can file at once, and no statute lets the tenant stop the eviction by paying.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the justice of the peace, city or parish court, or district court, where the case is called rule to show cause (eviction) (La. C.C.P. arts. 4731, 4732, 4733, 4735).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
In the statute, in English
rule returnable not earlier than the third day after service
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
If the court rules for you, the tenant has 1 day to appeal.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
In the statute, in English
warrant for possession issues if the tenant has not left 24 hours after the judgment
Louisiana eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 5 business days
- Time to answer
- Not confirmed
- Hearing
- Quoted in step 3
- Time to appeal
- 1 day
- Removal
- Quoted in step 5
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Louisiana bans self-help eviction (La. C.C.P. art. 4731(C)), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
Possession is recovered through the rule to show cause and a warrant executed by the sheriff, constable or marshal. Act 442 of 2022 (HB 160) added art. 4731(C), letting a tenant recover the greater of $500 or twice the monthly rent when the lessor does not follow that process; confirmed only from excerpts of the enrolled bill on the official site, not a full read.
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Louisiana eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Louisiana in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Louisiana notice with its 5 business days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
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Dardaris
The statutes
Louisiana eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 5-day notice to vacate5 business daysNo statutory right to pay and stayThe notice must give at least five days from delivery, and Louisiana courts tell landlords not to count weekends or holidays. A lease may waive the notice in writing, in which case the landlord can file at once, and no statute lets the tenant stop the eviction by paying. | La. C.C.P. art. 4701 |
| Notice for a lease breach | 5-day notice to vacate5 business daysThe same five-day notice applies whatever the reason the right of occupancy ended, and the Code gives no right to cure a breach. The same written lease waiver applies. | La. C.C.P. art. 4701 |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 10 daysAt least 10 calendar days before the end of the month. | La. Civil Code art. 2728 |
| How a notice is served | delivery to the tenantattaching to a door of the premises if abandoned, closed or the tenant's whereabouts are unknown | La. C.C.P. arts. 4701, 4703 |
| Court and action | justice of the peace, city or parish court, or district courtrule to show cause (eviction) | La. C.C.P. arts. 4731, 4732, 4733, 4735 |
| Time to answer | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Hearing | rule returnable not earlier than the third day after service | La. C.C.P. arts. 4731, 4732, 4733, 4735 |
| Time to appeal | 1 day | La. C.C.P. arts. 4731, 4732, 4733, 4735 |
| Removal | warrant for possession issues if the tenant has not left 24 hours after the judgment | La. C.C.P. arts. 4731, 4732, 4733, 4735 |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedPossession is recovered through the rule to show cause and a warrant executed by the sheriff, constable or marshal. Act 442 of 2022 (HB 160) added art. 4731(C), letting a tenant recover the greater of $500 or twice the monthly rent when the lessor does not follow that process; confirmed only from excerpts of the enrolled bill on the official site, not a full read. | La. C.C.P. art. 4731(C) |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Louisiana
How long does an eviction take in Louisiana?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 5 business days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Louisiana landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 5-day notice to vacate, which gives the tenant 5 business days (La. C.C.P. art. 4701). The statute gives the tenant no right to stop the eviction by paying inside the period.
Can a landlord change the locks in Louisiana?
No. Louisiana bans self-help eviction (La. C.C.P. art. 4731(C)), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Louisiana?
In the justice of the peace, city or parish court, or district court, where the case is called rule to show cause (eviction) (La. C.C.P. arts. 4731, 4732, 4733, 4735).
How does a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy in Louisiana?
With 10 days’ notice (La. Civil Code art. 2728). If the tenant stays on after that, the eviction process on this page applies.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Louisiana?
Yes. The tenant has 1 day after the judgment to appeal.
The eviction process in other states
- Indiana: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Iowa: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Kansas: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Kentucky: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Maine: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Maryland: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Massachusetts: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Michigan: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
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