Evangeline Parish is a central Louisiana Cajun Prairie parish of approximately 33,400 people anchored by Ville Platte — the parish seat with a population of about 7,200 — situated north of the Lafayette metro along US-167. The parish is named for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1847 epic poem about the Acadian exile, which gave the Cajun diaspora a lasting literary monument, and its culture is deeply rooted in the French Creole and Cajun traditions of south-central Louisiana. Ville Platte is known as the Swamp Pop capital of the world, a distinction that reflects the unique musical tradition born here from the intersection of Cajun, R&B, and country music that produced artists like Rod Bernard and Johnnie Allan in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The parish economy blends agriculture, particularly cotton and rice farming, public sector employment, healthcare, and manufacturing.
The rental market in Evangeline Parish is concentrated in Ville Platte, with smaller markets in Mamou and Basile. The parish poverty rate of approximately 28% reflects limited private sector depth. The tenant pool includes agricultural workers, manufacturing and industrial employees, public sector workers, healthcare employees at Ville Platte Medical Center, and households relying on government transfer income. Louisiana Civil Code governs all leases with no local rent control or just-cause eviction requirements.
Ville Platte, Mamou, Basile, Pine Prairie, Oakdale
Court
13th Judicial District Court
Typical Rent Range
~$500–$750/mo
Rent Control
None
Just-Cause Eviction
Not required
⚡ Eviction At-a-Glance
Nonpayment Notice
5-Day Notice to Vacate
Lease Violation
5-Day Notice to Vacate
Month-to-Month Term.
10-Day Written Notice
Cure Period
None required by law
Eviction Filing
Rule to Show Cause
Eviction Timeline
2–5 weeks total
Security Deposit Cap
2 months rent
Security Deposit Return
30 days after termination
Statute
La. CC Art. 2686–2729; CCP Art. 4701
Evangeline Parish Ordinances & Local Rules
Topic
Rule / Notes
Rental Licensing
No parish-level rental license required. Louisiana has no statewide landlord licensing statute. Verify with the City of Ville Platte or Town of Mamou for any local code enforcement requirements within their limits.
Rent Control
None. Louisiana has no statewide rent control and Evangeline 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 — 13th Judicial District
All Evangeline Parish eviction proceedings are filed in the 13th Judicial District Court, Evangeline Parish Courthouse, 200 Court Street, Ville Platte, LA 70586. Phone: (337) 363-5671. Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Justice of the Peace courts may have jurisdiction for leases not exceeding $1,000/month in unincorporated areas (CCP Art. 4843).
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 expires, the lessor may file a Rule to Show Cause immediately.
Agriculture & Oil Field Workforce
Cotton, rice, and soybean farming provide seasonal agricultural employment — request prior-year tax returns or 12-month bank statements for agricultural worker applicants. Oil field workers from the south Louisiana fields may work rotation schedules with variable pay — use three months of stubs averaged.
Corrections Employment — Oakdale
The Allen Correctional Center in nearby Oakdale (Allen Parish, adjacent to Evangeline’s southern border) and the Federal Correctional Complex in Oakdale employ corrections workers who may reside in Evangeline Parish. State and federal corrections employees have stable, verifiable government income. Standard pay stub verification applies.
Lafayette Metro Access
Ville Platte is approximately 40 miles north of Lafayette via US-167. Some Evangeline Parish residents commute south to Lafayette for employment in oil and gas, healthcare, and professional services. These commuters bring Lafayette-benchmarked wages to Evangeline Parish’s lower housing costs. Verify income regardless of employer location.
Source of Income / HCV
No state or local source of income protections. Landlords are not required to accept Housing Choice Vouchers. With a ~28% poverty rate, HCV and government transfer income are significant in the affordable rental tier. Contact the Evangeline Parish Housing Authority for current payment standards.
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.
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.
Underground Landlord
🏘️ Communities & Screening Tips
Key communities: Ville Platte, Mamou, Basile, Pine Prairie, Oakdale.
Ville Platte market: Agricultural workers need full-year income documentation. Oil field rotation workers use 3-month averaging. Corrections employees from Oakdale facilities are stable government income. Lafayette commuters via US-167 bring metro wages. ~28% poverty — adapt screening for fixed-income applicants.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
Evangeline Parish Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Law: A Guide for Rental Property Owners in Ville Platte, Mamou, and the Cajun Prairie
Evangeline Parish takes its name from Longfellow’s poem and its soul from the Cajun Prairie culture that has shaped south-central Louisiana for generations. Ville Platte — the Swamp Pop capital of the world, birthplace of a uniquely Louisiana musical tradition that blended Cajun accordion rhythms with R&B and country in the late 1950s — is a working small city with deep cultural roots and a rental market shaped by agriculture, public employment, and the Lafayette metro connection to the south. Mamou, known for its legendary Fat Tuesday Cajun Mardi Gras celebration that brings riders on horseback through the surrounding countryside in a tradition stretching back generations, adds a second community anchor to a parish whose identity is inseparable from its French Creole heritage.
The Evangeline Parish Tenant Pool and Income Verification
The Evangeline Parish rental market draws on several distinct employment segments. Agricultural workers in cotton, rice, and soybean farming have seasonal income that peaks during planting and harvest and declines significantly in off-season months — request prior-year tax returns or 12 months of bank statements to capture the full annual income cycle rather than relying on a harvest-season pay stub. Oil field workers from south Louisiana fields who live in Evangeline Parish while working rotation schedules elsewhere earn variable income that requires three-month pay stub averaging. Corrections employees from the Allen Correctional Center and Federal Correctional Complex in nearby Oakdale have stable, easily verified state and federal government income. Healthcare workers at Ville Platte Medical Center and public school district employees provide the most stable local employment base.
The Lafayette metro connection via US-167 (approximately 40 miles south) means some Evangeline Parish residents commute to Lafayette’s stronger employment market in oil and gas services, healthcare, and professional industries. These commuters bring Lafayette-benchmarked wages back to Evangeline Parish’s lower housing costs — a favorable dynamic for landlords in Ville Platte with well-maintained properties at moderate rents.
Louisiana Law and the Eviction Process in Evangeline Parish
All Evangeline Parish evictions are filed in the 13th Judicial District Court, Evangeline Parish Courthouse, 200 Court Street, Ville Platte, LA 70586, phone (337) 363-5671. Begin with a written 5-day notice to vacate for nonpayment or lease violation, served per CCP Art. 4704. After expiration, file a Rule to Show Cause. The court schedules a hearing, serves the rule at least 2 days before, and the judge rules. If the lessor prevails, the lessee has 24 hours to vacate before the Evangeline Parish Sheriff enforces a writ of possession. Month-to-month leases require 10-day written notice to terminate. Security deposits are capped at 2 months’ rent and must be returned with itemized deductions within 30 days. Louisiana’s tacit reconduction doctrine means accepting rent after a fixed-term lease expires automatically creates a new month-to-month tenancy.
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 and differs significantly from other states. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney or contact the 13th Judicial District Court at (337) 363-5671 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 and differs significantly from other states. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: March 2026.
