Landlord Entering Without Notice in Louisiana: What Are My Rights?

1. In Louisiana, your landlord must ask a court to order you to leave before your landlord can take back your home. Your landlord does this by asking the court to cite you, meaning to call you to explain why you should stay. Louisiana law requires the request to state the reasons your landlord is seeking eviction.

   Louisiana State Legislature La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4731(A)

   ✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026

2. Louisiana law requires your landlord to protect your peaceful use of your home for as long as your lease lasts. The law calls this your peaceful possession. If your landlord does not do this, your landlord has broken the lease.

   Louisiana State Legislature La. Civ. Code art. 2682(3)

   ✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026

3. If your home needs an urgent repair that cannot wait, Louisiana law lets your landlord come in to make it. This is true even if it makes things harder for you or you lose the use of part of your home for a while.

   Louisiana State Legislature La. Civ. Code art. 2693

   ✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026

4. After your landlord gives you the notice Louisiana law requires, your landlord may take back your home without going to court first. Louisiana law allows this when your landlord reasonably believes you have moved out for good. This is called abandonment (moving out for good and not coming back).

   Louisiana State Legislature La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4731(B)

   ✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026

5. Louisiana law lists signs of abandonment (moving out for good and not coming back). Those signs are that you stopped living in your home, you gave back your keys, or you removed your furniture and other belongings.

   Louisiana State Legislature La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4731(B)

   ✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026

6. A federal disaster might be declared where you live. If so, Louisiana law will not count that by itself as abandonment (moving out for good and not coming back). Other signs, like returning your keys or moving your furniture out, can still show you moved out for good. This protection lasts 30 days, starting the day the disaster is declared.

   Louisiana State Legislature La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4731(C)(1)

   ✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026

7. Your landlord might try to take back your home by claiming you moved out for good. Louisiana law calls this abandonment (moving out for good and not coming back). If your landlord does this without following the rules, you can get $500 or 2 times your monthly rent, whichever is more. For example, 2 times $900 rent is $1,800. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

   RenterLaw editorial Louisiana State Legislature La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4731(B)

   ✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026

8. In Louisiana, your landlord can take back your home without going to court only in one case. Your landlord must first give the required notice. Your landlord must also reasonably believe you moved out for good. If your landlord does this without that belief, you can ask a court for an order telling your landlord to stop.

   Louisiana State Legislature La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4731(C)(2)

   ✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026

9. You or your landlord might go to court about your landlord taking back your home. Your landlord may claim you moved out for good. Louisiana law calls this abandonment (moving out for good and not coming back). If this happens, a judge may order the side that loses to pay the winning side's court costs and lawyer fees.

   Louisiana State Legislature La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4731(B)

   ✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026

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