Plaquemines Parish is a long, narrow Louisiana coastal parish that stretches approximately 100 miles south from the New Orleans metropolitan area to the tip of the Mississippi River delta at Venice — the southernmost point in Louisiana accessible by road, and the jumping-off point for the offshore oil and gas industry that defines much of the parish’s economic character. The parish seat of Belle Chasse, in the northern portion of the parish, is the most populous community and functions as a bedroom community for New Orleans and Jefferson Parish, connected to the west bank metro area by the Belle Chasse Tunnel under the Mississippi River. Belle Chasse is also home to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Belle Chasse (NAS JRB Belle Chasse), a joint military installation that is one of the significant employers in the northern parish and whose active duty, reserve, and civilian workforce contributes substantially to the local rental market.
The southern portions of Plaquemines Parish — Buras, Boothville, Venice, and communities along the river levees going south — are home to a working community of commercial fishermen, offshore oil and gas workers, and their families who have built lives in one of the most geographically challenging and hurricane-vulnerable areas in North America. Hurricane Katrina devastated the lower parish in 2005; Hurricane Ida struck in 2021. The 25th Judicial District Court in Belle Chasse handles all parish evictions. Louisiana Civil Code governs all leases.
Belle Chasse, Buras, Port Sulphur, Boothville, Venice
Court
25th Judicial District Court
Typical Rent Range
~$850–$1,300/mo (north); lower south
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
Plaquemines 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 Plaquemines Parish Government for any local ordinance requirements. Plaquemines is a home-rule charter parish with a parish president-council structure.
Rent Control
None. Louisiana has no statewide rent control and Plaquemines 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 — 25th Judicial District
All Plaquemines Parish eviction proceedings are filed in the 25th Judicial District Court, Plaquemines Parish Courthouse, 301 Main Street, Belle Chasse, LA 70037. Phone: (504) 297-5180. Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Given the parish’s geography, confirm courthouse operating status after any major hurricane or flooding 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.
NAS JRB Belle Chasse & SCRA Military Tenants
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Belle Chasse is one of the larger joint reserve installations in the Gulf South, home to Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard reserve and active components. Military tenants are protected by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA): active duty service members may terminate a lease with 30 days written notice upon receipt of deployment orders or permanent change of station (PCS) orders. Confirm military status at the start of any tenancy and understand SCRA rights before signing leases with service members.
Offshore Oil & Gas / Commercial Fishing
Southern Plaquemines Parish is an offshore oil and gas staging area. Rotation workers use 3-month pay stub averaging; verify current employment status for commodity-cycle context. Commercial fishing income is seasonal — request prior-year tax returns or 12-month bank statements.
Plaquemines Parish is one of the most hurricane-vulnerable parishes in Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina (2005) devastated the lower parish; Hurricane Ida (2021) caused major damage throughout. Every Plaquemines Parish lease must include: current FEMA flood zone disclosure (verify at msc.fema.gov — virtually all properties are in a Special Flood Hazard Area); mandatory renter’s insurance; explicit evacuation compliance obligations; storm damage reporting requirements. Landlords must carry separate flood insurance on the structure. Louisiana CC Art. 2696: total destruction of the leased premises terminates the lease by operation of law.
New Orleans / West Bank Commuter Segment
Belle Chasse residents have access to the greater New Orleans metro via the Belle Chasse Tunnel and the Crescent City Connection bridge. Many Belle Chasse residents commute to Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, or St. Bernard Parish for employment. Verify income from metro 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 Plaquemines 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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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
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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: Belle Chasse, Buras, Port Sulphur, Boothville, Venice.
Belle Chasse market: NAS JRB military tenants — confirm SCRA rights at lease signing. New Orleans/west bank commuters via tunnel. Offshore rotation workers: 3-month averaging. Commercial fishermen: full-year documentation. Flood provisions are non-negotiable in every lease. 25th JDC courthouse in Belle Chasse.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
Plaquemines Parish Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Law: A Guide for Rental Property Owners in Belle Chasse and the Mississippi River Delta
Plaquemines Parish is one of the most geographically extraordinary places in Louisiana — a long, narrow ribbon of land that follows the Mississippi River south from the edge of the New Orleans metropolitan area all the way to the river’s mouth at the Gulf of Mexico, covering more than 800 square miles of river delta, marsh, and coastal wetland. The parish has two distinct characters that correspond roughly to its northern and southern halves. The northern section, anchored by Belle Chasse, is suburban New Orleans — a bedroom community connected to the Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish west bank by the Belle Chasse Tunnel and the Crescent City Connection bridge, home to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Belle Chasse, and populated by metro-area workers who choose Plaquemines for its quieter character and lower housing costs. The southern section — Port Sulphur, Buras, Boothville, Venice — is a working coastal community shaped by the Mississippi River, the offshore oil and gas industry, commercial fishing, and the recurring hurricane seasons that have reshaped this landscape repeatedly over the past two decades.
NAS JRB Belle Chasse and Military Tenant SCRA Rights
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Belle Chasse is a joint installation hosting reserve and active components of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Military personnel assigned to or based at NAS JRB Belle Chasse — both active duty and reserve members called to active service — are protected by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). The SCRA allows active duty service members to terminate a residential lease by providing written notice with a copy of deployment orders or permanent change of station (PCS) orders; the lease terminates 30 days after the next rent payment date following notice. Landlords in Plaquemines Parish with military tenants should be familiar with SCRA requirements and should not attempt to hold military tenants to lease terms that SCRA supersedes. At the start of any tenancy with a service member, confirm their military status and inform them of their SCRA rights in writing.
Hurricane Risk: Katrina, Ida, and Every Plaquemines Parish Lease
Plaquemines Parish has been struck by major hurricanes with a regularity that makes the question not whether a major storm will hit, but when. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 swept through the lower parish with devastating storm surge; Hurricane Ida in 2021 made landfall near Port Fourchon to the west and caused major wind and surge damage throughout the parish. Every Plaquemines Parish lease must include flood zone disclosure with the specific property’s current FEMA zone status (virtually all parish properties are in a Special Flood Hazard Area), mandatory renter’s insurance, explicit evacuation compliance obligations, and storm damage reporting requirements. Landlords must carry separate flood insurance regardless of lender requirements. Louisiana CC Art. 2696: total destruction of leased premises terminates the lease by operation of law; partial damage entitles the tenant to proportional rent reduction or lease termination. Loss-of-rents insurance coverage on top of structural flood coverage is strongly advisable.
Louisiana Law and the Eviction Process in Plaquemines Parish
All Plaquemines Parish evictions are filed in the 25th Judicial District Court, 301 Main Street, Belle Chasse, LA 70037, phone (504) 297-5180. Confirm courthouse operating status after any significant hurricane or flooding 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 Plaquemines 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 must be independently verified. Military tenant SCRA rights apply. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney or contact the 25th Judicial District Court at (504) 297-5180 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 must be independently verified. Military tenant SCRA rights are federal law and supersede lease terms. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney for guidance. Last updated: March 2026.
