St. Bernard Parish is a southeast Louisiana parish of approximately 43,000 people directly adjacent to Orleans Parish (New Orleans) on the east and southeast, anchored by Chalmette — the parish seat with a population of about 16,000. The parish is inextricably linked to New Orleans — it is, for most practical purposes, an extension of the New Orleans urban area on the east bank of the Mississippi River, and the majority of its working population commutes into New Orleans or Jefferson Parish for employment. St. Bernard Parish is also the most significant ground zero of Hurricane Katrina’s 2005 destruction in the Louisiana portion of the disaster: the entire parish was inundated when the federal levee system failed, with storm surge exceeding 20 feet in some areas, destroying virtually every structure in the parish and killing more than 120 St. Bernard residents. The post-Katrina recovery of St. Bernard Parish is one of the most remarkable stories of community determination in American disaster history — the parish rebuilt its population from near zero in 2005 to approximately 43,000 by 2020.
The post-Katrina rental market in St. Bernard Parish is a market of rebuilt or new construction housing stock in a parish that was essentially wiped clean in 2005. The 34th Judicial District Court in Chalmette handles all parish evictions. Louisiana Civil Code governs all leases with no local rent control or just-cause eviction requirements. Flood risk and hurricane provisions remain essential in every lease.
No parish-level rental license required under Louisiana state law. Verify with St. Bernard Parish Government for any local code enforcement or property maintenance requirements. St. Bernard Parish has been actively focused on building code compliance as part of post-Katrina rebuilding standards.
Rent Control
None. Louisiana has no statewide rent control and St. Bernard Parish has no local rent control ordinance. 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 — 34th Judicial District
All St. Bernard Parish eviction proceedings are filed in the 34th Judicial District Court, St. Bernard Parish Courthouse, 8201 W. Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, LA 70043. Phone: (504) 278-4310. Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Confirm courthouse operating status after any major hurricane event before filing.
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.
⚠️ Hurricane Katrina Legacy & Flood Risk
St. Bernard Parish was almost entirely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Post-Katrina levee improvements have substantially increased flood protection for the parish, but flood risk has not been eliminated. Verify current FEMA flood zone status for each property at msc.fema.gov. Every St. Bernard Parish lease must include: flood zone disclosure, mandatory renter’s insurance, evacuation compliance obligations, and storm damage reporting requirements. Carry separate flood insurance on the structure. Disclose any prior flood history for properties that were rebuilt or repaired after Katrina.
New Orleans Commuter Workforce
The overwhelming majority of St. Bernard Parish’s working population commutes into Orleans Parish or Jefferson Parish for employment. St. Bernard residents work in New Orleans in hospitality, healthcare, government, port and maritime, and professional services. Verify income from New Orleans employers using standard pay stubs and employer confirmation — the parish line does not change the verification process.
Industrial & Port Employment
St. Bernard Parish has significant industrial and port-related employment, including facilities along the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet and the Mississippi River levee corridor. Industrial W-2 employees verify with pay stubs. The Port of New Orleans-related maritime and logistics workforce also draws from St. Bernard Parish.
Post-Katrina Rebuilding & Property History
Most structures in St. Bernard Parish were rebuilt, elevated, or newly constructed after 2005. When leasing rebuilt or elevated properties, disclose the rebuilding history and current elevation certificate. Elevated properties may have different flood insurance costs and coverage requirements. Many post-Katrina homes were built to higher elevation standards and may have improved flood resilience compared to pre-Katrina structures.
Source of Income / HCV
No state or local source of income protections. Landlords are not required to accept Housing Choice Vouchers. Contact the St. Bernard Parish Housing Authority for current HCV 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.
Chalmette market: Primarily New Orleans commuter parish — verify income from NOLA employers. Industrial and port employment W-2 verification. Post-Katrina flood provisions are non-negotiable in every lease. Disclose prior flood history and rebuilding status. 34th JDC in Chalmette at 8201 W. Judge Perez Drive.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
St. Bernard Parish Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Law: A Guide for Rental Property Owners in Chalmette, Arabi, and the Post-Katrina Rebuilt Parish
St. Bernard Parish’s story is, in many ways, the most remarkable story in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — a parish of 67,000 people that was virtually entirely destroyed in August 2005 when the federal levee system failed and storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico swept across the entire parish, leaving no community untouched and no structure unaffected. The parish that existed before Katrina — the working-class and middle-class New Orleans suburb of Chalmette, the tight-knit Islenos community descendants of Canary Island settlers, the shrimpers and commercial fishermen of the lower parish — was swept away in a matter of hours and had to be rebuilt from the ground up over the following decade and a half. That St. Bernard Parish now has approximately 43,000 residents, rebuilt schools, a functioning commercial strip, and an active rental market is a testament to an extraordinary community determination to reclaim what was lost.
Post-Katrina Property: Flood History, Elevation, and Lease Provisions
Every property in St. Bernard Parish either flooded in Katrina, was rebuilt after Katrina, or was constructed new after Katrina on land that flooded. This history is the foundational reality of property ownership in this parish, and it shapes what every landlord here must do. Verify the current FEMA flood zone status of each property at msc.fema.gov. For rebuilt or repaired post-Katrina structures, obtain and retain the elevation certificate that was required as part of the rebuilding permit — elevated structures built to FEMA base flood elevation (BFE) or above have better flood insurance rates and represent a material difference in flood risk compared to pre-Katrina structures that were not elevated. Disclose prior flood history and any post-Katrina rebuilding to prospective tenants as part of your standard leasing process.
Every St. Bernard Parish lease must include flood zone disclosure with the specific property’s current FEMA flood zone status, mandatory renter’s insurance covering the tenant’s personal property, explicit tenant obligations to comply with all mandatory hurricane evacuation orders issued by parish or state authorities, and a storm damage reporting requirement. Landlords must carry separate flood insurance on the structure. The post-Katrina levee improvements under the Army Corps’ HSDRRS have substantially increased the engineering design standard for flood protection in St. Bernard Parish, but they have not eliminated hurricane and flooding risk for a parish that sits between the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Borgne.
The New Orleans Commuter Economy
St. Bernard Parish is functionally a New Orleans suburb — the majority of its working residents commute into Orleans Parish or Jefferson Parish for employment in the tourism and hospitality economy, the New Orleans healthcare system, the Port of New Orleans maritime and logistics industry, state and local government, and the broad professional and commercial economy of the greater New Orleans metro. Verify income from New Orleans employers exactly as you would any employer; the parish line between St. Bernard and Orleans is irrelevant to income verification. Industrial and port employment in St. Bernard Parish itself — facilities along the Mississippi River corridor and the broader industrial complex that characterizes the lower river — adds a local employment base. Industrial W-2 employees verify with standard pay stubs.
Louisiana Law and the Eviction Process in St. Bernard Parish
All St. Bernard Parish evictions are filed in the 34th Judicial District Court, 8201 W. Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, LA 70043, phone (504) 278-4310. Confirm courthouse operating status after any major hurricane event before filing. 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 St. Bernard 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.
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 34th Judicial District Court at (504) 278-4310 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. Prior flood history should be disclosed to prospective tenants. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney and an insurance professional for guidance. Last updated: March 2026.
