Louisiana security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Louisiana law behind your request. Download the free PDF or Word template, or fill in your dates and figures below.
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Before sending in Louisiana
Distinguish one month from the written-demand period
Louisiana's ordinary return period is one month after lease termination. A separate 30-day period after written demand matters to whether non-return is deemed willful under section 9:3252.
What records should support deductions?
No receipts requirement; itemized statement with reasons only.
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[Your name] [Your current mailing address] [Date] [Landlord or property manager name] [Address designated for notices] SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED RE: Request for return of security deposit - [rental property address] Dear [Landlord]: I vacated the property on [move-out date] and paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. Under La. Rev. Stat. § 9:3251: 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. REQUEST Please return $[amount requested] of my deposit to the mailing address above. Please explain any deductions you maintain and provide the itemized statement and supporting records required by the applicable law. If the statutory conditions are met, under La. Rev. Stat. § 9:3252, willful failure to return my deposit makes you liable for the amount wrongfully retained plus the greater of $300 or twice the amount wrongfully retained. Please respond by [response date after any required notice or cure period]. This requested date does not shorten any applicable statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable requirements are satisfied, I intend to pursue the remedies available in justice of the peace or city court. Sincerely, [Your signature] Enclosures: [List the records you are actually attaching.]
Review your dates and the records behind each charge before signing. The free analysis can help you assess disputed deductions and possible additional recovery.
From a blank request to a documented demand
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The free editor fills in your facts. The analysis reviews your charges and applicable rules; your paid case documents bring together the letter, damages summary and organized evidence checklist.
One charge, made specific.
Louisiana example: repainting ordinary wall scuffs, $900. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $900 charge for repainting ordinary wall scuffs. Please return that amount.
The free editor lets you add your own reasons and records.
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.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: La. Rev. Stat. §§ 9:3251-9:3253 (Lessee's Deposit Act) ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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See the actual PDF pages
Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Louisiana case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Louisiana sample letter
Fictional Louisiana case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
September 08, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Louisiana rental address]
Dear Daniel Reed (fictional landlord):
I vacated the above rental property on August 01, 2026 and paid a security deposit of $2,000.00. Under La. Rev. Stat. § 9:3251 (Louisiana Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: 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.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under La. Rev. Stat. § 9:3251 for the reasons below. Please provide the records supporting each disputed charge, including the work, cost, and condition at issue. For replacement charges, explain the item's age and how you calculated the amount charged:
• Repainting ordinary wall scuffs - $900.00
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.
I do not contest the following deductions, totaling $200.00: Unpaid rent balance ($200.00).
This demand does not cancel any accepted debt. Any separate claim or counterclaim must credit amounts already paid or retained toward that debt.
DEMAND
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under La. Rev. Stat. § 9:3252, willful failure to return my deposit makes you liable for the amount wrongfully retained plus the greater of $300 or twice the amount wrongfully retained. I reserve the right to seek that remedy if its conditions are established in court.
Please deliver payment to the address above no later than September 22, 2026 (14 days from the date of this letter). This requested date does not shorten any statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable notice, service and waiting requirements are satisfied, I intend to file suit in justice of the peace or city court. I have retained dated photographs of the property's condition, the lease, our correspondence, your itemized statement, the repair receipts you provided, and this demand letter.
Sincerely,
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
Enclosures: Evidence exhibit listSend it with a record you can use.
Make the request in writing, give a forwarding address and identify the termination date, deposit and disputed balance. Keep evidence of the landlord's receipt of your demand.
Louisiana R.S. 9:3252: written demand and remedies ↗What happens after sending?
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.
They refund some or all of it
Save the payment record and update what remains disputed. Read any settlement or release before agreeing to it.
They reject the request or explain the deductions
Match each explanation to your lease and condition records. Reply with the specific amounts and reasons still disputed.
The letter comes back or nobody responds
Keep the envelope or tracking record. Check the address and required service method before using the Louisiana filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Louisiana letter refer to?
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. 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 penalties does Louisiana law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
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).
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in justice of the peace or city court (limit: $5,000; filing fees about $35-$150 depending on parish). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Louisiana filing steps and court forms →