St. John the Baptist Parish Rental Market Overview
St. John the Baptist Parish is a west bank River Road parish of approximately 36,000 people situated between St. Charles Parish to the southeast and St. James Parish to the northwest, with LaPlace as its largest community and the unincorporated community of Edgard across the river as its official parish seat. LaPlace, located just off I-10 approximately 30 miles west of New Orleans, is the commercial and population hub of the parish and functions primarily as a New Orleans bedroom community — a suburban enclave where working families choose lower housing costs and newer suburban development over the older, denser neighborhoods closer to the city. The parish also sits squarely within the River Road petrochemical corridor, with industrial facilities that provide well-paying direct employment to a segment of the workforce.
St. John the Baptist Parish gained national attention in August 2021 when Hurricane Ida made landfall nearby as a powerful Category 4 storm, causing widespread destruction throughout the parish — particularly in LaPlace, which experienced significant wind damage and flooding. The 40th Judicial District Court in LaPlace handles all parish evictions. Louisiana Civil Code governs all leases with no local rent control or just-cause eviction requirements. Flood and hurricane provisions are essential in every lease.
St. John the Baptist Parish Ordinances & Local Rules
Topic
Rule / Notes
Rental Licensing
No parish-level rental license required. Louisiana has no statewide landlord licensing statute. Verify with St. John the Baptist Parish Government for any local code enforcement or property maintenance requirements. Post-Hurricane Ida, the parish has been active in building inspection and property compliance.
Rent Control
None. Louisiana has no statewide rent control and St. John the Baptist 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 — 40th Judicial District
All St. John the Baptist Parish eviction proceedings are filed in the 40th Judicial District Court, St. John the Baptist Parish Courthouse, 2393 Highway 51, LaPlace, LA 70068. Phone: (985) 652-9551. Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Note: The courthouse is in LaPlace — the parish’s commercial hub — not in Edgard, the official parish seat across the river. 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 Ida (2021) & Flood Risk
Hurricane Ida made landfall in August 2021 as a powerful Category 4 storm, causing widespread wind and flood damage throughout St. John the Baptist Parish and across southeast Louisiana. Properties rebuilt or repaired after Ida should have documentation of repairs; landlords should verify the current condition and FEMA flood zone status of all properties. Include mandatory flood zone disclosure, renter’s insurance requirements, evacuation compliance, and storm damage reporting in all leases. Carry separate flood insurance on the structure regardless of FEMA zone designation.
New Orleans Metro Commuter Workforce
LaPlace sits directly on I-10 approximately 30 miles west of New Orleans, making it a practical commuter suburb for New Orleans and Jefferson Parish employment. New Orleans-area healthcare, hospitality, port, government, and professional services workers represent a large share of the LaPlace tenant pool. Verify income from New Orleans employers with standard pay stubs and employer confirmation.
River Road Industrial Employment
St. John the Baptist Parish’s River Road hosts industrial facilities including Marathon’s Garyville refinery — one of the largest refineries in the United States — and associated petrochemical operations. Direct plant employees have stable W-2 income. Turnaround contractors have variable project-based income and require prior-year tax return verification.
Source of Income / HCV
No state or local source of income protections. Landlords are not required to accept Housing Choice Vouchers. Contact the St. John the Baptist 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.
LaPlace market: New Orleans I-10 commuter suburb — verify income from NOLA/Jefferson employers. Marathon Garyville refinery direct employees most stable locally. Turnaround contractors need prior-year tax returns. Hurricane Ida 2021 — flood provisions non-negotiable. Courthouse in LaPlace (not Edgard) at 2393 Hwy 51. 40th JDC.
Background checks, eviction history, credit reports — get the full picture before handing over the keys.
St. John the Baptist Parish Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Law: A Guide for Rental Property Owners in LaPlace, Reserve, and the I-10 Corridor
St. John the Baptist Parish is a west bank River Road parish of approximately 36,000 people whose largest community, LaPlace, sits directly on I-10 approximately 30 miles west of New Orleans — close enough to the city to function as a practical commuter suburb, far enough to offer meaningfully lower housing costs and a more suburban character. The parish’s economic identity is defined by two forces that pull in different directions: the New Orleans metropolitan economy that draws its commuter workforce eastward every morning, and the River Road petrochemical corridor that employs industrial workers in the chemical plants, refineries, and manufacturing facilities that line the Mississippi River through St. John the Baptist Parish. The intersection of these two forces — metro commuter wages and industrial employment — makes LaPlace one of the more affordable yet reasonably prosperous small suburban rental markets in the greater New Orleans area. The 40th Judicial District Court, located in LaPlace, handles all parish evictions.
Hurricane Ida 2021: Lease Provisions for a Post-Storm Market
Hurricane Ida made landfall in August 2021 approximately 45 miles southwest of LaPlace as a Category 4 storm and tracked directly through St. John the Baptist Parish, causing widespread wind damage and flooding throughout the community. LaPlace experienced some of the most significant damage in the greater New Orleans metro from that storm. For landlords, the post-Ida landscape means two things: first, any property that was damaged and repaired after August 2021 should have documentation of repairs and current building condition that can be shown to prospective tenants; second, the flood and hurricane lease provisions that are standard throughout southeast Louisiana are especially important in a parish with recent major storm experience. Every lease in St. John the Baptist Parish must include flood zone disclosure with the property’s current verified FEMA zone status, mandatory renter’s insurance, explicit evacuation compliance obligations requiring compliance with all mandatory orders issued by parish or state authorities, and storm damage reporting requirements. Landlords must carry separate flood insurance on the structure. The post-Ida experience demonstrated, as Katrina did in 2005, that southeastern Louisiana storm risk is not hypothetical.
Marathon Garyville and the River Road Industrial Profile
The Marathon Petroleum Garyville refinery, located in the Garyville community of St. John the Baptist Parish, is one of the largest petroleum refineries in the United States by throughput capacity. Its direct workforce represents some of the highest-paying blue-collar employment in the parish, with stable W-2 income, strong benefits, and long-term employment tenure common among experienced refinery workers. Direct Marathon employees are among the most reliable tenant profiles in the LaPlace market. Verify with standard pay stubs and employer confirmation. Turnaround contractors brought in for scheduled refinery maintenance shutdowns earn very high short-term wages but have project-limited income — apply the standard turnaround contractor screening protocol of prior-year tax return review and local-ties verification.
Louisiana Law and the Eviction Process in St. John the Baptist Parish
All St. John the Baptist Parish evictions are filed in the 40th Judicial District Court, 2393 Highway 51, LaPlace, LA 70068, phone (985) 652-9551. The courthouse is in LaPlace — the parish’s commercial hub — not in Edgard, the official parish seat on the west bank across the river. 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. John the Baptist 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 40th Judicial District Court at (985) 652-9551 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. Consult a licensed Louisiana attorney for guidance. Last updated: March 2026.
