Louisiana landlords who wrongfully withhold deposits may owe up to 3× the deposit amount. Learn your rights under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3251.
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Check My DepositIf your Louisiana landlord wrongfully withholds your deposit, you may be entitled to recover up to 3 times the amount wrongfully kept under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252. This is on top of recovering the deposit itself. The multiplier is the penalty for the violation. After thirty days from written demand following the landlord's failure to return the deposit within one month, damages are $300 or twice the amount wrongfully withheld, whichever is greater.
No intent required. Miss the 30-day deadline and the 3x cap can apply under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252. Your landlord cannot avoid it by claiming forgetfulness or confusion.
Penalty
If your Louisiana landlord wrongfully withholds your deposit, you may be entitled to recover up to 3 times the amount wrongfully kept under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252. This is on top of recovering the deposit itself. The multiplier is the penalty for the violation. After thirty days from written demand following the landlord's failure to return the deposit within one month, damages are $300 or twice the amount wrongfully withheld, whichever is greater.
No intent required. Miss the 30-day deadline and the 3x cap can apply under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252. Your landlord cannot avoid it by claiming forgetfulness or confusion.
Example
La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252
To recover penalties under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252, you generally need to: document the move-out date and the missed deadline, send a written demand letter citing the statute, and, if necessary, file in Louisiana small claims court (up to $5,000).
A demand letter that specifically cites La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252 and calculates the potential Up to 3x your deposit often prompts landlords to settle without going to court.
Questions
Your Louisiana landlord has 30 days after your move-out date to return your security deposit along with an itemized statement of any deductions. This deadline is set by La. Rev. Stat. §9:3251.
If your landlord misses the 30-day deadline, you may be entitled to up to 3× the amount wrongfully withheld under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252. The penalty applies when your landlord acted in bad faith.
No. Louisiana law under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3251 explicitly prohibits landlords from deducting for normal wear and tear. This includes faded paint, minor scuffs, small nail holes, and carpet thinning from regular use. Deductions must be for actual damage beyond what normal living causes.
Under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252, you may recover up to 3x the deposit amount wrongfully withheld. You must show the landlord acted in bad faith.
To recover the penalty, you must show your landlord acted in bad faith under La. Rev. Stat. §9:3252, knowingly withholding the deposit without legitimate grounds.
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