re: Renter's refund of deposit

Louisiana Revised Statute 9:3251, etc., known as the Lessee's Deposit Act.

§3251. Lessee's deposit to secure lease; retention by lessor; conveyance of leased premises; itemized statement by lessor

A. Any advance or deposit of money furnished by a tenant or lessee to a landlord or lessor to secure the performance of any part of a written or oral lease or rental agreement shall be returned to the tenant or lessee of residential or dwelling premises within one month after the lease shall terminate, except that the landlord or lessor may retain all or any portion of the advance or deposit which is reasonably necessary to remedy a default of the tenant or to remedy unreasonable wear to the premises. If any portion of an advance or deposit is retained by a landlord or lessor, he shall forward to the tenant or lessee, within one month after the date the tenancy terminates, an itemized statement accounting for the proceeds which are retained and giving the reasons therefor. The tenant shall furnish the lessor a forwarding address at the termination of the lease, to which such statements may be sent.
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C. Paragraph A of this Section shall not apply when the tenant abandons the premises, either without giving notice as required or prior to the termination of the lease.


§3252. Failure of lessor to comply; recovery of amounts by lessee; venue

A. The willful failure to comply with R.S. 9:3251 shall give the tenant or lessee the right to recover any portion of the security deposit wrongfully retained and three hundred dollars or twice the amount of the portion of the security deposit wrongfully retained, whichever is greater, from the landlord or lessor, or from the lessor's successor in interest. Failure to remit within thirty days after written demand for a refund shall constitute willful failure.
B. An action for recovery of such damages may be brought in the parish of the lessor's domicile or in the parish where the property is situated.

§3253. Costs and attorney's fees

In an action brought under R.S. 9:3252, the court may in its discretion award costs and attorney's fees to the prevailing party.

For a plain English version, look up the Louisiana Attorney General’s pamphlet on landlord tenant laws.