Beauregard Parish is a rural southwest Louisiana parish of approximately 38,000 people anchored by DeRidder — the parish seat with a population of around 11,000 and the parish’s dominant commercial and rental market center. The parish sits at the western edge of Louisiana’s pine timber belt, bordered by Texas to the west, and its economy blends timber and forest products with a significant military presence: Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk), Louisiana’s major U.S. Army installation, straddles the border between Beauregard and Vernon parishes and is one of the most important military employers in the region. While the fort’s main cantonment area lies primarily in Vernon Parish, its economic reach extends throughout the surrounding area including Beauregard Parish, and military families and veterans represent a meaningful segment of the DeRidder rental market.
The rental market in Beauregard Parish is concentrated in DeRidder, with limited inventory in smaller communities like Merryville and Ragley. The tenant pool blends military and veteran households, timber industry workers, public sector employees, and households relying on government transfer income. The parish poverty rate of approximately 19% is below the Louisiana statewide average, reflecting the income lift from military and defense-related employment. Louisiana Civil Code governs all leases with no local rent control or just-cause eviction requirements.
No parish-level rental license required. Louisiana has no statewide landlord licensing statute. Verify with the City of DeRidder for any local code enforcement requirements within city limits. Unincorporated rural properties are not subject to municipal codes.
Rent Control
None. Louisiana has no statewide rent control and Beauregard Parish has no local rent control ordinance. Lessors may raise rent freely at lease renewal with proper notice.
Security Deposit
Capped at 2 months’ rent (R.S. 9:3251). Must be returned with itemized deductions within 30 days of lease termination or surrender, whichever is later (R.S. 9:3252). Permissible deductions: unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid utilities owed by lessee.
Eviction Court — 36th Judicial District
All Beauregard Parish eviction proceedings are filed in the 36th Judicial District Court, Beauregard Parish Courthouse, 201 W. First Street, DeRidder, LA 70634. Phone: (337) 463-8595. Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Justice of the Peace courts may also have jurisdiction for residential leases not exceeding $1,000/month in unincorporated areas.
Notice to Vacate
Written 5-day notice to vacate required before filing for eviction (CCP Art. 4701–4703). Serve personally, by domiciliary service, or by door-posting plus first class mail. Retain all service documentation.
Month-to-Month Termination
10-day written notice required to terminate a month-to-month lease (CC Art. 2687, 2728). Notice must be given at least 10 days before the end of the monthly rental period.
Tacit Reconduction
Accepting rent after a fixed-term lease expires automatically creates a new month-to-month tenancy (CC Art. 2686). Give written notice before lease expiration if renewal is not intended.
No Statutory Cure Period
Louisiana provides no statutory cure period for lease violations. After the 5-day notice to vacate expires, the lessor may file a Rule to Show Cause immediately.
Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk) Military Tenants
Fort Johnson, Louisiana’s major U.S. Army installation, straddles the Beauregard-Vernon Parish border and generates significant military and civilian defense workforce housing demand in the DeRidder area. Active duty soldiers, veterans, DOD civilians, and defense contractors represent financially stable tenant profiles with regular income. Note the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA): active duty military personnel may terminate a lease early upon deployment orders or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders with 30-day written notice and a copy of orders. Louisiana lessors must comply with SCRA regardless of lease terms.
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
The federal SCRA (50 U.S.C. § 3955) allows active duty military personnel to terminate a residential lease early without penalty upon receipt of deployment or PCS orders, by providing written notice and a copy of orders at least 30 days before the intended termination date. This federal protection supersedes Louisiana lease terms. Lessors near Fort Johnson should understand SCRA and build lease provisions that acknowledge military early termination rights.
Timber & Forest Products Workforce
Timber harvesting and forest products processing are significant employers in Beauregard Parish. W-2 mill employees verify with recent pay stubs. Independent contract loggers require Schedule C or 12-month bank statements for reliable income assessment — contract logging income is highly variable and a single pay stub is unreliable.
Source of Income / HCV
No state or local source of income protections. Landlords are not required to accept Housing Choice Vouchers. With a ~19% poverty rate, HCV demand exists in the affordable tier but is less prevalent than in higher-poverty Louisiana parishes.
Self-Help Eviction
Prohibited. Lessors may not take possession by any means other than lawful judicial process (CCP Art. 4736). Lockouts, utility shutoffs, or removal of tenant belongings without a court order expose the lessor to liability for damages and attorney fees.
Tenant Can Cure?No - Louisiana notices are unconditional. No right to cure by paying rent. However, tenant can negotiate with landlord. Notice can be waived entirely in lease.
Days to Hearing2-7 days
Days to Writ1-3 days
Total Estimated Timeline14-30 days
Total Estimated Cost$100-$400
⚠️ Watch Out
VERY landlord-friendly state. 5-day notice is UNCONDITIONAL - no cure right, tenant must vacate. Notice can be WAIVED in lease - if waived, landlord can file immediately without any notice. No grace period. No statewide late fee cap. No security deposit cap. Tenant gets only 24 hours to appeal after judgment. Lease term notice: 10-day for month-to-month, 30-day for year lease. Do not count weekends/holidays in 5-day period.
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the Justice of the Peace Court / City Court / District Court. Pay the filing fee (~$50-150).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Louisiana eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Louisiana attorney or local legal aid organization.
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⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
DeRidder market: Military and veteran households from Fort Johnson (stable, SCRA-aware leasing), timber workers (Schedule C for contractors), DOD civilians and defense contractors, public sector. Below-average poverty rate (~19%) supports stronger market-rate rental demand than most Louisiana parishes.
SCRA note: Military tenants may terminate leases early on PCS or deployment orders. Build SCRA acknowledgment into lease language near Fort Johnson.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
Beauregard Parish Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Law: A Complete Guide for Rental Property Owners in DeRidder and the Fort Johnson Corridor
Beauregard Parish is a southwest Louisiana timber and military parish whose rental market is shaped by two industries that rarely appear in the same sentence: longleaf pine forestry and the United States Army. DeRidder, the parish seat, is a working small city of about 11,000 that serves as the commercial hub for a wide rural area, and its rental market draws on a tenant pool that ranges from timber mill workers to Army soldiers and veterans to Department of Defense civilians employed at the Fort Johnson installation that lies partly within the parish’s southern reaches. For landlords operating here, Beauregard Parish offers a rental market with meaningfully below-average poverty rates for Louisiana, a diversified tenant pool, and one critical federal law overlay that every landlord near a military installation needs to understand: the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
Fort Johnson and Military Housing Demand
Fort Johnson — formerly Fort Polk, renamed in 2023 as part of the national renaming of military installations that honored Confederate figures — is Louisiana’s major U.S. Army post, home to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) and significant active duty and reserve component units. The installation straddles the Beauregard-Vernon Parish line, with the main cantonment area in Vernon Parish but its economic and housing influence extending throughout the surrounding region including DeRidder. Military families, veterans transitioning out of service, Department of Defense civilian employees, and defense contractors make up a meaningful share of the DeRidder rental market — and they represent a financially reliable tenant segment with regular, verifiable income.
The most important thing every landlord near Fort Johnson needs to know is the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), a federal law that gives active duty military personnel the right to terminate a residential lease early — without penalty — upon receipt of deployment orders or Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders. The soldier provides written notice of intent to terminate and a copy of the orders, with at least 30 days’ notice, and the lease terminates 30 days after the next rent payment date following the notice. Louisiana lease terms cannot override the SCRA; a clause purporting to waive SCRA rights is unenforceable. Landlords who rent to active duty military should include a clear SCRA acknowledgment clause in their lease and should not attempt to charge early termination fees for SCRA-protected departures. The practical effect of SCRA in a military housing market is a somewhat higher turnover rate than a purely civilian market — offset by the income reliability and community accountability that military tenants typically bring.
Timber Industry and the Standard Louisiana Eviction Process
Beauregard Parish’s timber industry provides the private sector employment base that predates the military presence in the region. W-2 mill and processing plant employees are straightforward to verify through pay stubs and employer confirmation. Independent contract loggers — who operate as self-employed contractors paid per harvest — require full-year income documentation (prior year Schedule C or 12 months of bank statements) rather than a single pay stub. All evictions in Beauregard Parish are filed in the 36th Judicial District Court, 201 W. First Street, DeRidder, LA 70634, phone (337) 463-8595. Begin with a 5-day written notice to vacate, then file a Rule to Show Cause after expiration. Month-to-month leases require 10-day written notice to terminate. Security deposits are capped at 2 months’ rent and must be returned within 30 days with itemized deductions.
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Louisiana landlord-tenant law is governed by the Civil Code; SCRA is federal law that applies independently. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney or contact the 36th Judicial District Court at (337) 463-8595 for guidance. Last updated: March 2026.
⚠️ Legal Disclaimer: This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Louisiana landlord-tenant law is governed by the Civil Code. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) is federal law that independently protects active duty military tenants. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney for guidance. Last updated: March 2026.
