Landlord kept your deposit in Louisiana? Find your next step.
No refund, only part of your money back, or charges you disagree with? Start with what you received, then build a response using your records and Louisiana law.
Analysis free · Full case package $29-$49, one time · mailing optional
The deadline check is optional. See what you get
What do you need help with?
Open the situation that fits. Each route gives you something to check, something to keep, and a next step.
I received nothingNo refund and no list of deductions.
Check the trigger, then the date. Within one calendar month after the lease terminates. For terminations on or after August 1, 2026, Act 63 allows an additional 15 days to furnish the itemized retention statement; this does not extend the refund deadline.
In Louisiana the letter is the trigger: failing to remit within 30 days after your written demand is deemed willful, and willfulness is what unlocks damages under § 9:3252.
Keep: your deposit payment, move-out or key-return record, forwarding-address notice and any earlier written request. These establish the timeline behind your demand.
Analyze my missing refund - free →I received part of my depositSome money came back. Find out what explains the difference.
Reconcile the refund. Compare the original deposit, what was returned and each deduction. Separate charges you accept from charges you dispute.
Check the amount they kept - free →Enter the refund and deductions in the case builder. You do not need a separate worksheet first.
The Louisiana accounting rule: An itemized statement explains retained amounts. Act 63, effective August 1, 2026, allows an additional 15 days after the one-month period for furnishing that statement. Check the applicable version for earlier tenancies.
Keep: the refund record, deduction list and notice envelope or delivery record. If money is still unexplained, identify that gap in your written request.
I disagree with the deductionsYou have a charge list, whether or not a refund arrived.
Respond to the specific charges. Note each amount, why you dispute it, and which photo, message or record supports your position. Check the notice instructions above before choosing how and when to reply.
Check my deductions - free →The records rule in Louisiana: No receipts requirement; itemized statement with reasons only.
No move-in photos? Use an inventory checklist, inspection report, dated repair request, messages or witness accounts to explain the condition.
I already sent a demandThe landlord has not paid, or the dispute is still unresolved.
Preserve any itemized reasons and response to the demand. Do not treat the one-month return period and the 30 days after written demand as the same clock.
See the Louisiana court route →Keep: your sent demand, delivery record and any reply. Use the court guide to check where to file, which forms to use, and the filing and service costs.
Turn the dispute into a documented demand
- Free: understand your dispute
- Add your refund, charges and records. Get a charge-by-charge analysis of the deposit rules and potential remedies under La. Rev. Stat. § 9:3251.
- Optional: your case documents, $29-$49
- Your demand letter, damages summary and evidence checklist, ready to review and send with your records. Mailing is optional and costs extra.
One charge, backed by a reason and records
Fictional Louisiana example. Assumes coverage under the cited law; not a customer outcome.
- The charge
- Repainting ordinary wall scuffs: $900
- Records to attach
- move-in photos and move-out photos
Open PDF ↗In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Prefer to write it yourself? Use the free Louisiana letter template.
Before you call the refund late
Within one calendar month after the lease terminates. For terminations on or after August 1, 2026, Act 63 allows an additional 15 days to furnish the itemized retention statement; this does not extend the refund deadline.
La. Rev. Stat. §§ 9:3251-9:3253 (Lessee's Deposit Act) ↗Deposit statute reviewed August 2026. Review dates refer to the cited rules.
Check the return timeline
Optional date estimate. Read the start conditions above; a passed date alone does not establish a violation. Your date and deposit amount carry into the free analysis.
Already know the dates? Go straight to the refund and charges.
Continue to my free analysis →Questions before your next step
What should I do first if my landlord kept my deposit in Louisiana?
Check the statutory deadline. Within one calendar month after the lease terminates. For terminations on or after August 1, 2026, Act 63 allows an additional 15 days to furnish the itemized retention statement; this does not extend the refund deadline. Save your move-out records, any refund and the itemized statement. Compare them with the deadline and deduction rules below.
Do I need a lawyer to get my deposit back in Louisiana?
You can write a demand yourself. If you consider a court claim, justice of the peace or city court (limit: $5,000) is designed for self-represented tenants - filing fees run about $35-$150 depending on parish.
What happens if my landlord doesn't return my security deposit in one calendar month in Louisiana?
Damages under § 9:3252 attach on willful failure - and failure to remit within 30 days after the tenant's written demand is deemed willful per se.
What can I ask to recover in a Louisiana deposit dispute?
For willful failure the tenant recovers the wrongfully retained portion plus the greater of $300 or twice the amount wrongfully retained (§ 9:3252, as amended 2019). Costs and attorney fees at the court's discretion to the prevailing party (§ 9:3253, two-way).
Read the full Louisiana deposit-law guide for the return, deduction and remedy rules.