Louisiana · Repairs and Unsafe Conditions

Landlord Won't Make Repairs in Louisiana: What Can I Do?

This is not legal advice. We explain what the law says. We cannot tell you what to do in your situation. For that, talk to a lawyer. Find free legal and rent help in Louisiana.

Think before you call an inspector.

You or a neighbor can ask the city to send a code inspector. Be careful: if the home is in very bad shape, the inspector can condemn it (say no one may live there). Then everyone must move out, you too, sometimes on short notice. Think about where you would go before you call.

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.

What your landlord has to fix

  1. 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.

    Source:
    1. La. Civ. Code art. 2691, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.
    Tip.

    Take photos of each problem, with the date. Take more if it gets worse.

  2. 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.

    Source:
    1. La. Civ. Code art. 2696, 1st paragraph, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

  3. 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.

    Source:
    1. La. Civ. Code art. 2696, 1st paragraph, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

  4. 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.

    Source:
    1. La. Civ. Code art. 2697, 1st paragraph, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

  5. 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.

    Source:
    1. La. Civ. Code art. 2697, 2nd paragraph, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

  6. 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.

    Source:
    1. La. Civ. Code art. 2699, 1st paragraph, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

  7. 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.

    Source:
    1. La. Civ. Code art. 2699, 1st paragraph, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

  8. 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.

    Source:
    1. La. Civ. Code art. 2698, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

Ask in writing

  1. 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.

    Source:
    1. La. Civ. Code art. 2694, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

If it is still not fixed

  1. 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.

    Sources:
    1. Our editorial rules.
    2. La. Civ. Code art. 2694, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.
    Your landlord can take you to court.

    If you hold back rent, pay less, or take repair costs out of your rent, your landlord can file an eviction case for unpaid rent. If the judge rules for your landlord, you can owe the rent and court costs and have to move out. Your proof matters. Even a case you win can show up when you apply for a new place. Get legal help first.

  2. 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.

    Sources:
    1. Our editorial rules.
    2. La. Civ. Code art. 2715, 1st paragraph, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

  3. 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:
    1. Our editorial rules.
    2. La. Civ. Code art. 2715, 1st paragraph, Louisiana State Legislature. Law.

Published by Nazanin, November 11, 2026. Sources checked November 13, 2026. Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us.