Landlord Won't Make Repairs in Louisiana: What Can I Do?
Louisiana law requires landlords to keep rental homes fit for the purpose they were rented for. This page covers how to ask for a repair and what you can do if your landlord does not act. It also covers what can happen if you take the problem to court.
-
Your landlord must make any repair needed to keep your home fit for its purpose. Louisiana law requires this throughout your lease. This does not include a repair you must make yourself.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Under Louisiana law, your landlord promises your home is fit for the purpose you rented it for. Your landlord also promises your home is free of problems that would stop you from using it for that purpose.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Your landlord's promise about your home's condition covers problems that show up after you move in, not only problems that were already there. This only applies if you did not cause the problem yourself.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Your landlord's promise about your home's condition covers problems your landlord did not know about, not only problems your landlord was aware of.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
You might know about a problem in your home and not tell your landlord. If so, the money you could get for that problem later may be reduced.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Louisiana law lets a lease take away some legal promises about your rental home. This is only allowed if the lease uses clear language that points this out to you.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Your lease can take away some legal promises about your rental home. This only works if the lease uses clear words that your landlord pointed out to you. Your landlord cannot do this for a problem that seriously affects your health or safety.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
In a lease for a home, the legal promises about your home's condition protect everyone who lives there as part of the lease. This includes people other than the renter who signed the lease.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Before you can act on your own, you must first ask your landlord to make a needed repair. Louisiana law lets you arrange the repair yourself only if your landlord does not fix it within a reasonable time after you ask.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Ask for the repair in writing, by text, email, or letter, and keep a copy. Take photos or video of the problem and write down the date you told your landlord. These records can help you later if you have to go to court.
-
Ask your landlord to make a needed repair. If your landlord does not make it within a reasonable time, you can pay for it yourself. Then you have two choices. You can ask your landlord to pay you back right away, or you can take that amount off your next rent payment instead. Either way, this only covers the part of the repair that was truly needed and the part of the cost that was reasonable. If a court later disagrees, you can owe the rent and face eviction. Get legal help first.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
A repair problem can be serious enough to badly limit your use of your home. If that happens, and it is not your fault, you can ask a court to lower your rent or end your lease. A court decides which one fits, based on both sides of the case. If a court later disagrees, you can owe the rent and face eviction. Get legal help first.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
Your home might be partly destroyed, taken away, or much harder to use, without anything you did wrong. If your landlord is at fault, you can ask the court for money to cover the losses this caused you. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.
✓ Sources checked September 29, 2026
-
A local code inspector can visit your home to check for serious safety problems. If the inspector decides your home is not safe, the inspector may order everyone to leave until it is fixed. This can affect your lease and where you stay next. Get legal help before you agree to leave, so you understand your rights first.
Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us.