Iberville Parish is a central Louisiana river parish of approximately 32,500 people anchored by Plaquemine — the parish seat with a population of about 6,900 — situated on the west bank of the Mississippi River directly across from and immediately south of Baton Rouge. The parish occupies a critical position in Louisiana’s petrochemical industrial corridor: the River Road between Plaquemine and Baton Rouge is lined with major chemical and industrial facilities including Dow Chemical’s Plaquemine complex — one of the largest integrated chemical production facilities in the United States — ExxonMobil, and numerous other industrial operations. Iberville Parish functions simultaneously as an industrial parish in its own right and as a Baton Rouge bedroom community, with many residents commuting north into the capital city for employment in state government, healthcare, and professional services.
The rental market in Iberville Parish is concentrated in Plaquemine and the community of White Castle, with limited inventory in smaller communities. The parish poverty rate of approximately 18% is below the Louisiana statewide average, reflecting the income lift from industrial employment. The 18th Judicial District Court in Plaquemine handles all parish eviction proceedings. 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 Plaquemine 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 Iberville Parish has no local rent control ordinance. Rents reflect industrial corridor wages; lessors may raise rents freely at 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 — 18th Judicial District
All Iberville Parish eviction proceedings are filed in the 18th Judicial District Court, Iberville Parish Courthouse, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, LA 70764. Phone: (225) 687-5160. 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.
Dow Chemical & Industrial Corridor Employment
Dow Chemical’s Plaquemine complex is one of the largest integrated chemical manufacturing facilities in the United States and among Iberville Parish’s dominant private employers. Dow and other River Road industrial facility employees are direct plant W-2 workers with stable employment and strong wages — among the most reliable tenant profiles in the parish. Distinguish direct employees from turnaround and project contractors, who have project-based variable income. For contractor applicants, request prior-year tax returns alongside recent pay stubs.
Baton Rouge Commuter Segment
Iberville Parish is directly adjacent to East Baton Rouge Parish across the Mississippi River, and many residents commute north into Baton Rouge for state government, healthcare, LSU, and professional services employment. These commuters bring Baton Rouge-benchmarked wages to Iberville Parish’s lower housing costs. Verify income from Baton Rouge employers the same as any other; the river is not a screening barrier.
Sugar Cane & Agriculture
Sugar cane farming in the rich Mississippi River bottomlands provides seasonal agricultural employment with harvest season October through December. Request prior-year tax returns or 12-month bank statements for agricultural worker applicants rather than relying on harvest-season pay stubs.
Flood Risk & 2016 Flooding
Iberville Parish was significantly affected by the catastrophic August 2016 flooding event. Verify FEMA flood zone status for each property at msc.fema.gov. Include flood zone disclosure, mandatory renter’s insurance, evacuation compliance, and storm damage reporting provisions in all leases. Carry separate flood insurance on the structure.
Source of Income / HCV
No state or local source of income protections. Landlords are not required to accept Housing Choice Vouchers. Contact the relevant housing authority for current Iberville Parish 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.
🔍 Reduce Your Risk Before Signing a Lease:
Louisiana landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly
reduce their risk of ending up in eviction court. Understanding
tenant screening in Louisiana —
including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most
cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need Louisiana's
eviction process, proper tenant screening can help
you identify red flags early and avoid problem tenancies altogether.
Ready to File?
Generate Louisiana-Compliant Legal Documents
AI-generated, state-specific eviction notices, pay-or-quit letters, lease termination documents, and more — pre-filled with your tenant's information and built to Louisiana requirements.
Select your state, eviction reason, and the date you plan to serve notice. We'll calculate your earliest filing date and key milestones.
⚠️ 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: Plaquemine, White Castle, St. Gabriel, Maringouin.
Plaquemine market: Dow Chemical and River Road direct plant employees are among the most reliable tenants in the parish. Turnaround contractors verify with prior-year tax returns. Baton Rouge commuters bring capital city wages. Sugar cane workers need full-year documentation. Include 2016 flood provisions in every lease.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
Iberville Parish Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Law: A Guide for Rental Property Owners in Plaquemine, White Castle, and the River Road Corridor
Iberville Parish sits on the west bank of the Mississippi River immediately south of Baton Rouge, and its identity is shaped by two forces that have defined the lower Mississippi River corridor for two centuries: sugar cane agriculture and heavy industrial chemical manufacturing. Plaquemine, the parish seat, is a historic river town with a downtown that reflects both its antebellum plantation economy heritage and its 20th-century industrial transformation, anchored by the locks of the Plaquemine Lock State Historic Site — once a critical passage between the Mississippi River and the Atchafalaya Basin for river traffic. Today the parish is defined as much by the Dow Chemical complex on the River Road as by its historical character, and its rental market draws heavily on the industrial wages that Dow and neighboring facilities provide.
Dow Chemical and the Industrial Corridor Tenant
Dow Chemical’s Plaquemine complex is one of the largest integrated chemical manufacturing sites in the United States, producing a wide range of chemical products and employing thousands of workers in operator, engineering, maintenance, and administrative roles. These direct Dow employees are among the most financially reliable tenant profiles available in any Louisiana rental market — stable W-2 employment at one of the world’s largest industrial companies, comprehensive benefits, and income that significantly exceeds the regional median. Screen them with standard procedures and expect them to clear income thresholds comfortably. The same applies to direct employees of ExxonMobil, Westlake Chemical, and other River Road facility operators with permanent operations in the parish.
The turnaround contractor population is a different category. Industrial plants in the River Road corridor run scheduled maintenance shutdowns — called turnarounds — during which contractors bring in skilled tradespeople from across the Gulf South for intensive short-term work at extraordinary wage rates. A pipe fitter working a turnaround at Dow may earn $4,000 to $6,000 in a single week. That pay stub says nothing reliable about their annual income or their expected presence in the parish beyond the turnaround duration. For turnaround applicants, the question to answer before signing a lease is: does this person have a permanent local employment base, or are they here specifically for this turnaround and likely to follow the work elsewhere when it concludes? Request prior-year tax returns and a direct conversation about their employment plans to answer it.
Louisiana Law and the Eviction Process in Iberville Parish
All Iberville Parish evictions are filed in the 18th Judicial District Court, 58050 Meriam Street, Plaquemine, LA 70764, phone (225) 687-5160. 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 Iberville 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. Include flood zone disclosure, renter’s insurance requirements, and storm damage reporting in every lease given Iberville Parish’s 2016 flood history.
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. Flood zone status should be independently verified. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney or contact the 18th Judicial District Court at (225) 687-5160 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. Flood zone status should be independently verified using current FEMA flood maps. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney for guidance. Last updated: March 2026.
