Landlord & Housing · free generator
Louisiana Security Deposit Demand Letter
You moved out, you left the place in decent shape, and your deposit still has not come back. In Louisiana, that is not a judgment call: under Louisiana Revised Statutes title 9, section 3251 (Lessee's Deposit Act), your former landlord generally has 1 month to return your deposit or send an itemized statement of deductions. This generator produces a demand letter that cites La. R.S. 9:3251 by name, states the legal deadline, and puts your landlord on notice that small claims court — where Louisiana hears claims up to $5,000 — is the next stop. You do not need perfect English or a lawyer for this; the statute does the arguing. Fill in the blanks below, send it by certified mail, and keep a copy — the letter that cites the actual law is the one that gets answered.
[Date]
[Your former landlord's name]
Re: Demand for return of security deposit — [Rental property address]
Dear [Your former landlord's name],
I am writing to formally demand the return of my security deposit of [Deposit amount] for the property at [Rental property address], which I have vacated and returned to your possession.
Under Louisiana Revised Statutes title 9, section 3251 (Lessee's Deposit Act) (La. R.S. 9:3251), you were required to return my security deposit, or provide a written itemized statement of any lawful deductions, within 1 month. If any portion is retained, the landlord must forward an itemized statement accounting for the amounts kept and giving the reasons, within the same one-month window. Deductions for normal wear and tear are not permitted.
As of the date of this letter, I have received neither my deposit nor a lawful accounting for it. Please send the full amount of [Deposit amount] to my forwarding address: [Forwarding address for payment].
If I do not receive payment or a lawful written response within 10 days, I will file a claim in small claims court, where Louisiana law allows claims up to $5,000, and I will pursue every remedy available under La. R.S. 9:3251, including any statutory damages for wrongful retention.
I would prefer to resolve this without litigation. Prompt payment will close the matter.
Sincerely,
[Your full name]
Know your rights
Security deposit law in Louisiana
- Return deadline
- 1 month
- Governing statute
- La. R.S. 9:3251
- When the clock starts
- The deposit must be returned within one month after the lease terminates, and the tenant is required to furnish the landlord a forwarding address at termination to which the refund or itemized statement can be sent.
- Itemized deductions
- If any portion is retained, the landlord must forward an itemized statement accounting for the amounts kept and giving the reasons, within the same one-month window.
- If it's wrongfully kept
- Willful failure to comply entitles the tenant to the wrongfully retained portion plus $300 or twice the amount wrongfully retained, whichever is greater, under R.S. 9:3252, and the court may award costs and attorney fees under R.S. 9:3253. Failure to remit within 30 days after a written demand for a refund constitutes willful failure by statute.
- Small claims limit
- $5,000 (city-court small claims divisions, La. R.S. 13:5200 et seq.; JP courts)
Worth knowing: In Louisiana the written demand letter is not just polite — it is the legal trigger: the landlord's failure to remit within 30 days of a written demand is what makes the retention 'willful' and unlocks the statutory penalty. There is no cap on deposit amounts and no interest requirement. The tenant's rights under the Lessee's Deposit Act cannot be waived by lease clause (R.S. 9:3254), but abandoning the premises without giving notice as required under the lease can cost the tenant the Act's protections. Note that judgments from city-court small claims divisions cannot be appealed — the trade-off for speed and simplicity is finality.
Last reviewed August 2026 · General information, not legal advice · Read the statute
Field notes
Three tips before you send
- Send it by certified mail with a return receipt — that dated record is the first exhibit a Louisiana small claims judge will ask about. Keep a copy with your move-out photos and lease.
- The deposit must be returned within one month after the lease terminates, and the tenant is required to furnish the landlord a forwarding address at termination to which the refund or itemized statement can be sent.
- If the deadline has already passed, skip the text-message negotiation. Filing in small claims ($5,000 (city-court small claims divisions, La. R.S. 13:5200 et seq.; JP courts)) usually costs under $75, and most landlords pay between the summons and the hearing.
Other states
Deposit letters for every state
Straight answers
Questions people ask
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Louisiana?
The deposit must be returned within one month after the lease terminates, and the tenant is required to furnish the landlord a forwarding address at termination to which the refund or itemized statement can be sent. The governing statute is Louisiana Revised Statutes title 9, section 3251 (Lessee's Deposit Act). If any portion is retained, the landlord must forward an itemized statement accounting for the amounts kept and giving the reasons, within the same one-month window.
What can I recover if my landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit in Louisiana?
Willful failure to comply entitles the tenant to the wrongfully retained portion plus $300 or twice the amount wrongfully retained, whichever is greater, under R.S. 9:3252, and the court may award costs and attorney fees under R.S. 9:3253. Failure to remit within 30 days after a written demand for a refund constitutes willful failure by statute. These cases are built for small claims court — the Louisiana limit is $5,000 (city-court small claims divisions, La. R.S. 13:5200 et seq.; JP courts), filing fees are modest, and no lawyer is needed.
Anything else Louisiana renters should know about deposits?
In Louisiana the written demand letter is not just polite — it is the legal trigger: the landlord's failure to remit within 30 days of a written demand is what makes the retention 'willful' and unlocks the statutory penalty. There is no cap on deposit amounts and no interest requirement. The tenant's rights under the Lessee's Deposit Act cannot be waived by lease clause (R.S. 9:3254), but abandoning the premises without giving notice as required under the lease can cost the tenant the Act's protections. Note that judgments from city-court small claims divisions cannot be appealed — the trade-off for speed and simplicity is finality.
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