Your tenant hands back the keys. You walk in and see a stain on the carpet you swear wasn’t there before. Or maybe it was. You can’t remember, and your photos from two years ago are blurry, undated, or missing.
That gap is where landlords lose money. This post is for rental owners in New Orleans and the surrounding area who want a clear system for both ends of a lease. We cover what to document on day one, how to run a move-out, what Louisiana’s deposit rules say, and where owners usually get burned. We manage about 10,000 properties for around 800 owners, so we see a lot of handoffs.
In This Guide
Why Move-In and Move-Out Decide Your Return
Rent comes in every month, and that part is simple. The handoffs are where owners lose real money.
Say your rent is $1,800 and the unit sits empty for six weeks. That’s about $2,700 gone before you count a single repair. Add a deposit dispute and the number climbs fast.
“Say your rent is $1,800 and the unit sits empty for six weeks. That’s about $2,700 gone before you count a single repair.”
Turnover is also higher here than many owners expect. A large student and short-term renter population near Tulane and Loyola, especially in Uptown and Mid-City, means more leases ending and more handoffs to get right. More turnover means more chances for a sloppy process to cost you.
The good news is that the fix isn’t complicated. It’s paperwork, photos, and timing.
Start With Screening, Because Move-Out Begins Before Move-In
Good tenants tend to leave good units. We run a detailed background check on applicants that covers criminal, credit, and employment history.
- Credit history: shows how an applicant treats their bills.
- Employment history: shows whether income can carry the rent.
- Criminal history: reviewed against the same written criteria for every applicant.
Late rent is the tenant issue we run into most, and screening is the first filter for it. None of this guarantees a spotless move-out. It does cut the odds of a messy one.
Build a Move-In Inspection Report That Holds Up
A move-in report is your baseline. Without it, every deduction later is your word against theirs.
What to capture
Walk every room with the tenant, with a written form in hand. Here is the order we’d follow.
- Photograph and video every wall, floor, ceiling, window, and fixture, with timestamps.
- Write down existing flaws in plain detail, such as “3-inch scuff on north bedroom wall” instead of “wall marks.”
- Test faucets, drains, outlets, smoke detectors, HVAC, and every appliance.
- Note the condition of exterior areas, including the roof, gutters, and yard drainage.
- Record key counts and any gate or garage openers handed over.
Sign it and store it
Have the tenant sign and date the report. Give them a copy. Then keep your copy somewhere you’ll actually find it in three years.
We store inspection reports and photos in AppFolio so they stay attached to the lease file. A folder on your phone works until you change phones.
Whether or not a particular form is required, do one anyway. It’s the best evidence you’ll ever have.
A Signed Move-In Report Protects You More Than Anyone
Most landlords think of the move-in report as a tool for taking money out of the deposit later. It’s actually your shield.
Think of it like a receipt. When a tenant claims the damage was already there, the signed report answers that claim in about thirty seconds. Skip it, and you’ve handed the tenant the high ground.
Picture a landlord who inherits an older shotgun double in the Bywater and moves a tenant in without noting the scuffs, the soft spots in the floor, or the slow bathroom drain. At move-out, that landlord can’t separate what the tenant caused from what was already there. Every deduction becomes legally shaky.
Tenants also research their side. People look up Renters Rights New Orleans before they sign, and that’s fine. A landlord with a clean, signed report has nothing to fear from an informed tenant.
What Older Homes, Humidity, and Storm Season Do to Your Paperwork
A lot of housing around here predates 1960. Shotguns, doubles, and historic buildings in the Marigny, Bywater, and Uptown come with quirks that make “normal wear” harder to judge.
Plaster, old floors, and aging fixtures
Plaster walls crack. Original hardwood has gaps and wear. Old fixtures stop working on their own schedule.
Photograph all of it at move-in, close up and from across the room. If it’s already tired, say so in writing. That’s the only way to separate age from tenant damage later.
Humidity and mold
Moisture works fast in this climate. Mold, swollen wood, and peeling paint can show up within weeks, and they aren’t always the tenant’s fault.
Note in your report whether the unit has working ventilation and any known moisture spots. If you can’t show a tenant caused it, you’ll struggle to charge for it. Also check current city requirements, including Healthy Homes New Orleans rules and any registration, before you hand over keys, because we can’t give a blanket answer here.
Before and after hurricane season
June through November is a natural window to document exterior conditions. Photograph the roof, drainage, and yard before and after the season. If a storm damages the unit, you’ll want proof of its condition beforehand.
Keep Records During the Lease, Not Just at the Ends
Damage that grows quietly is expensive. A small leak ignored for six months becomes a ceiling repair.
We schedule periodic inspections and fix issues quickly. Our in-house maintenance and construction division, Wurth+, works directly with tenants to handle repairs. Tenants submit requests through the portal, by email, by phone, or by text, and every request gets a date.
That log matters. Tenants search for a reasonable time frame for landlord to make repairs, and some search how to report your landlord for negligence or landlord problems who to call. Your answer to all of it is a dated record showing what was reported, when it was fixed, and by whom.
Track these for every repair.
- Date reported: when the tenant told you.
- Date dispatched: when someone was sent.
- Date fixed: when it was done.
- Photos: before and after.
The Move-Out Process, Step by Step
A good move-out has a rhythm. Skip a step and the rest gets harder.
- Log the notice. Write down the date you got it and the lease end date.
- Send move-out instructions. Include a cleaning list and a request for the tenant’s forwarding address.
- Collect the forwarding address. Louisiana puts the duty to provide it on the tenant. Get it at the walkthrough or key return.
- Walk the unit with the move-in report in hand. Do it with the tenant if you can.
- Photograph again from the same angles. Matching shots make comparison easy.
- Get quotes or invoices for any repairs. Wurth+ can price work found at the inspection.
- Write the itemized statement. Send it with the deposit balance, if any.
A flexible, organized process can make move-out smooth for the tenant too. One former tenant wrote that Wurth was “very flexible working with me when I needed it,” and that they left the condo spotless and got their deposit back without any hassle. That’s the outcome you want on both sides.
Normal Wear Versus Damage
Under Louisiana law, you can keep only the part of a deposit reasonably needed to cover the tenant’s default, like unpaid rent, or to fix unreasonable wear. Ordinary wear is not a valid reason to keep deposit money.
So where’s the line? These are typical examples, not legal advice, and age and condition of the item matter.
| Usually ordinary wear | Usually worth a deduction |
|---|---|
| Faded paint, a few small nail holes | Large wall holes, marker, unapproved paint colors |
| Light traffic wear on carpet | Pet stains, burns, tears |
| Minor scuffs on floors | Deep gouges, water damage from neglect |
| A loose cabinet hinge | A broken door, missing blinds |
Your move-in report is what makes the right column defensible. Without it, you’re guessing.
Louisiana’s Deposit Deadlines in Plain English
Here is what the statute says, and what it means for you.
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Return the deposit | Within one month after the lease ends |
| Itemized statement | Within one month, or by 15 days after that one-month date |
| Forwarding address | The tenant’s duty to provide |
| Lease waivers | Any clause that waives deposit rights is void |
The itemized statement timing changed in 2026 under Act 63, in force since August 1, 2026. Before that, the statement had to go out within the one-month window.
The extra 15 days applies only to the itemized statement. The deposit itself still has to go back within one month, so treat one month as your real deadline for both.
If the lease end date and move-out date differ, count conservatively from the earlier one and ask your attorney. A lease also can’t stretch the deadline or declare the deposit automatically forfeited. Those clauses are void.
What a Mistake Actually Costs
The penalty is stiffer than many owners realize. If a landlord willfully fails to comply, the tenant can recover the amount wrongfully kept plus $300 or twice that amount, whichever is greater. A landlord who hasn’t paid within 30 days after the tenant’s written demand is treated as having failed willfully.
Here’s a worked example. Say a Garden District owner relies on memory and a few dark cell phone photos, then keeps $1,800 for carpet replacement. The tenant disputes it, and the owner can’t back it up. If a court finds the failure willful, the tenant could recover the $1,800 plus $3,600, which is twice the amount kept. That’s $5,400, and the court can also award costs and attorney’s fees to whichever side wins.
Or consider an owner with a Metairie condo who returns the deposit on time but forgets the itemized list of deductions. The deductions might have been fair. Missing paperwork can still expose that owner to trouble.
Scroll through rental property owner questions on Reddit and you’ll see deposit fights that sound alike. Almost every one comes back to paperwork.
Here are the mistakes we see most.
- No written move-in report: every deduction becomes easy to contest.
- Missing the deadline: it opens the door to a claim, and if you haven’t paid within 30 days after the tenant’s written demand, the law treats the failure as willful.
- Vague deduction language: “Cleaning, $400” loses to “Oven and bathroom cleaning, 4 hours, $160, invoice attached.”
- Charging for ordinary wear: the statute doesn’t allow it.
- Counting on a lease clause to stretch the deadline: those clauses are void.
Your best protection is a signed move-in report, a dated move-out report, and an itemized statement sent on time. Three documents. Everything else is backup.
The Deposit Is Not Your Repair Fund
Many owners treat the deposit as a repair budget. That sets you up for disappointment.
A deposit typically runs one to two months of rent. On an $1,800 rental, that’s $1,800 to $3,600. A full interior repaint, new flooring, and appliance repair after a neglected move-out in a single-family home here can run $10,000 or more, depending on size.
So what’s the deposit for? Mostly it makes tenants careful. A tenant who knows you inspect, document, and follow the rules tends to treat the place better.
Your real protection is upstream.
- Screening applicants carefully.
- Inspecting during the lease.
- Documenting everything at both ends.
Unusual Situations Worth Planning For
Abandoned units
If a tenant leaves without the required notice or before the lease ends, the statute says the Subsection A return-and-itemize duty doesn’t apply. It does not say the deposit is forfeited. Don’t treat abandonment as free money. Document the unit, keep records, and talk to an attorney.
A sale during the lease
If you sell, you must transfer the deposit to the buyer. The buyer then becomes responsible for returning it when the lease ends. Spell it out in the closing paperwork.
Evictions
Move-outs that come out of an eviction run on a different track. Owners and tenants both search for New Orleans eviction laws and what a 5 day notice to vacate in New Orleans means, and we won’t try to settle that here. Talk to a Louisiana attorney.
Short-term rental switches
If you’re moving a unit between a long-term lease and a short-term rental, check the New Orleans short term rental registry and run an STR permit lookup first. Rules change, so confirm the current ones before you list.
Turn the Unit Fast Once It’s Empty
An empty unit costs you every day. Start marketing as soon as you have notice, not after the tenant leaves.
We publish listings to our platform, which syndicates to over 300 rental websites, plus the MLS and our own site. That’s how your place shows up when someone searches homes for rent New Orleans. Good photos and clear descriptions shorten vacancy, and so does fast repair work.
Hurricane season can bring a cluster of move-outs, and our in-house team can handle repairs found at inspection. Wurth+ can give a price, schedule the work, and have the unit ready sooner. That matters more than owners think.
How We Handle This at Wurth
We’ve been operating in the Gulf South for 32 years. We employ more Certified Property Managers, skilled accountants, and administrative assistants than any other company in the region, and we’re an IREM Accredited Management Organization. Move-in and move-out reports, photos, communication, and accounting all run through AppFolio, so nothing lives in someone’s glove box.
One long-term client put it simply, calling us “professionals and knowledgeable” and saying they dealt with us for years and found us helpful.
We don’t treat the handoff as an afterthought. It’s where owners protect their investment.
If move-outs feel harder than they should, we’re open to a conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Louisiana landlord have to return a security deposit?
The deposit must be returned within one month after the lease ends. If you keep any part, the itemized statement must go out within one month, or at the latest within 15 days after that one-month date.
Can I deduct for normal wear and tear?
No. You can keep only the part of the deposit reasonably needed to cover the tenant’s default, such as unpaid rent, or to fix unreasonable wear.
What happens if I keep money I shouldn’t have?
If a court finds you willfully failed to comply, the tenant can recover the amount wrongfully kept plus $300 or twice that amount, whichever is greater. Not paying within 30 days after the tenant’s written demand is treated as willful.
Does the tenant have to give me a forwarding address?
Yes. The statute puts that duty on the tenant, so ask for it at the walkthrough or key return and write it down.
Can my lease say the tenant forfeits the deposit or extend the deadline?
No. Any lease clause that waives the tenant’s deposit rights is void.
Who pays attorney’s fees if a deposit dispute goes to court, and where can the tenant sue?
The court may award costs and attorney’s fees to whichever side wins, landlord or tenant. A tenant can sue in the parish where the landlord lives or in the parish where the property is located.
