LaSalle Parish is a small, rural central Louisiana parish of approximately 14,900 people anchored by Jena — the parish seat with a population of about 3,000 — situated along the Ouachita River and Red River watershed where central Louisiana’s timber hills meet the river valley agricultural lands. The parish shares the 28th Judicial District Court with neighboring Catahoula Parish, with LaSalle Parish matters filed at the Jena courthouse. LaSalle Parish gained national attention in 2006–2007 during the “Jena Six” case, in which the prosecution of six Black high school students following a racially charged series of events drew civil rights protests and national media coverage that put the small central Louisiana town on the map in ways its residents had not anticipated.
The parish economy is built on timber and forest products, oil and gas production, agriculture, and public sector employment. The parish poverty rate of approximately 22% reflects limited private sector employment diversity. The rental market is concentrated in Jena with very limited inventory elsewhere. Louisiana Civil Code governs all leases with no local rent control or just-cause eviction requirements.
📊 Quick Stats
Parish Seat
Jena
Population
~14,900 (2020 census)
Key Communities
Jena, Olla, Tullos, Urania
Court
28th Judicial District Court
Typical Rent Range
~$400–$625/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
LaSalle 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 Town of Jena for any local code enforcement requirements within town limits. Unincorporated rural properties are not subject to municipal codes.
Rent Control
None. Louisiana has no statewide rent control and LaSalle 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 — 28th Judicial District (LaSalle Division)
All LaSalle Parish eviction proceedings are filed in the 28th Judicial District Court — LaSalle Parish Division, LaSalle Parish Courthouse, 14 Court Street, Jena, LA 71342. Phone: (318) 992-2158. Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Note: The 28th JDC also serves Catahoula Parish; LaSalle Parish matters are filed at the Jena courthouse. Justice of the Peace courts may have jurisdiction for 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 expires, the lessor may file a Rule to Show Cause immediately.
Timber & Forest Products
Timber is the dominant private sector industry. W-2 mill employees verify with recent pay stubs. Independent contract loggers require prior-year Schedule C or 12 months of bank statements — logging income is variable and a single pay stub does not reflect annual earning capacity reliably.
Oil & Gas Production
LaSalle Parish has active oil and gas production. Permanent operations employees (pumpers, field technicians, pipeline workers) verify with W-2 pay stubs. Contractors and field service workers should be verified with prior-year tax returns alongside recent stubs.
Alexandria Access
Jena is approximately 25–30 miles from the Alexandria-Pineville metro via LA-28 and US-84. Some LaSalle Parish residents commute to Alexandria for healthcare, government, and professional services employment. Verify income from Alexandria employers the same as any other.
Source of Income / HCV
No state or local source of income protections. Landlords are not required to accept Housing Choice Vouchers. Contact the relevant central Louisiana housing authority for current LaSalle 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.
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including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most
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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: Jena, Olla, Tullos, Urania.
Jena market: Small, quiet rural market. Timber W-2 employees verify with pay stubs; contract loggers need Schedule C. Oil and gas permanent operations employees verify with W-2. Alexandria commuters bring Rapides wages. School district employees are most stable local segment. ~22% poverty — adapt for fixed-income applicants.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
LaSalle Parish Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Law: A Guide for Rental Property Owners in Jena and Central Louisiana
LaSalle Parish is a small central Louisiana parish of approximately 14,900 people where the timber and oil-producing piney hills of central Louisiana give way to the river valley country of the Ouachita and Red River systems. Jena, the parish seat, is a modest small town that carries a national historical footnote from the 2006–2007 “Jena Six” case — a racially charged sequence of events at Jena High School that drew civil rights marches and sustained national media attention to this central Louisiana community. Today Jena is a quiet town focused on the practical business of timber, oil, agriculture, and small-town central Louisiana life, and its rental market is correspondingly small and straightforward. The 28th Judicial District Court serves both LaSalle and Catahoula parishes, with LaSalle matters filed in Jena.
Timber, Oil, and the LaSalle Parish Employment Base
LaSalle Parish’s private sector economy rests on two extraction industries: timber and oil and gas. The parish’s longleaf pine uplands and hardwood bottomlands support active logging and forest products operations, and its underground geology supports oil and gas production that has been ongoing since the mid-20th century. For both industries, the key income verification distinction is between W-2 employees of established companies — whose income is regular, documented, and verifiable with pay stubs — and independent contractors and self-employed workers whose income is variable, seasonal, and requires full-year documentation to assess reliably. A timber mill operator is straightforward to verify; a contract logger who owns his own equipment and harvests under contract is not. Request prior-year Schedule C or 12 months of bank statements for self-employed timber and oilfield workers. The LaSalle Parish School District and parish government provide the most stable and predictable local employment; school district employees are the strongest locally-sourced tenant profile in the Jena market.
Louisiana Law and the Eviction Process in LaSalle Parish
All LaSalle Parish evictions are filed in the 28th Judicial District Court, LaSalle Parish Division, 14 Court Street, Jena, LA 71342, phone (318) 992-2158. The 28th JDC serves both LaSalle and Catahoula parishes; LaSalle Parish matters are filed at the Jena courthouse. 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 LaSalle 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 28th Judicial District Court at (318) 992-2158 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.
