If you're new to the property rental business, you may be a little intimidated by the lease agreement. However, it is important to remember that this document has been designed to protect you and your tenant.
The lease agreement will set the tone for your relationship and experience with your tenant, so it is essential to pay attention to what you include and make it as detailed as possible.
While you may be tempted to use a standard Louisiana lease agreement, we highly recommend creating your own to ensure that you include all the crucial details.
In this article, we'll give you the information you need to know what to include in Louisiana rental agreements.
What You'll Need
There's no doubt that lease agreements are important documents. If you leave out important details, it could create a loophole for tenants and make your rental experience a bad one.
Here are some of the things you must include in a rental agreement in Louisiana, according to landlord-tenant laws:
- The details of the tenant and the landlord, including their full name, contact details, and physical addresses
- Disclosures (more on that later)
- Payment terms (information on the security deposit, rental amount, and when the tenant will be expected to pay rent)
- The property address
- Rules regarding pets
- Cancellation terms
- Parking rules
- Repairs
Mandatory Disclosure
According to landlord-tenant laws, you will need to include the following when drawing up a rental agreement:
- Security deposit - landlords are required to return a security deposit one month after the end of the lease
- The landlord's right of entry - a landlord may be liable for damages if he or she evicts a tenant or locks them out
- Notice to terminate the agreement - yearly agreements require 30 days notice, month=to-month agreements require 10 days notice, and for a week-to-week lease, a five-day notice is required
- Repairs - landlords are required to maintain the property and ensure that it is habitable
Build Your Own
Whether you're drawing up a Louisiana sublease agreement, a month-to-month lease, an agreement governing a residential property, or a Louisiana roommate agreement, you can build a professional agreement that works for you and your tenant with DoorLoop.
Alternatively, you could use eForms to build simply Louisiana rental agreements.
What Is DoorLoop?
DoorLoop is a platform created for landlords, allowing them to manage their rental businesses effectively. You can use the rental contract creation tool and choose from a range of professional templates to suit your needs and preferences, which you simply cannot get with a free form.
Thanks to an autofill feature, the software can help you generate rental agreements with ease. You can also use it to accept, track, and manage security deposits and monthly rental payments or view federal law requirements quickly and easily.
eSignature
How are your leases currently signed? DoorLoop makes it easier than ever to create and sign leases.
With the software, you can create and save reusable lease templates, autofilling your new tenant's information into the right fields whenever you need.
Once the lease agreement is made, it just takes one click to request eSignatures from your new tenants. From there, you're good to go!
How about finding those great tenants in the first place? DoorLoop connects you to popular platforms like Zillow, Trulia, Hotpads, Apartments.com, and others so that you can market your listings and bring in prospects automatically. You can also make sure you're bringing in the most reliable tenants by screening your prospects in seconds through an integration with TransUnion.
To see if DoorLoop is right for you, learn more or schedule a free demo.
Final Thoughts
Lease contracts are important legal documents that stipulated the terms of a rental agreement. Before leasing your residential property in Louisiana, you will need to spend time drawing up a detailed rental agreement.
The truth is that starting out as the owner of a rental business can be intimidating. However, you can manage your business effectively with the proper knowledge and tools. DoorLoop provides a comprehensive platform with all the tools you'll need for your business.
To have a look at how these tools can work for your rental properties, schedule a demo of DoorLoop.
FAQs
Where can I find free lease agreements?
If you're hoping to download a free rental agreement for your Louisiana property, you can visit esign.com for a list of lease agreements. We've listed some of the most important residential agreement templates below.
- Standard one-year lease agreement - MS Word Version | PDF Version
- Month-to-month agreement - MS Word Version | PDF Version
- Roommate agreement - MS Word Version | PDF Version
You will also find a number of other forms on this site, including a Louisiana commercial lease agreement.
Will I need a different form when drawing up a Louisiana commercial lease agreement?
Yes, commercial agreements tend to include a lot more details. If you own commercial space and intend to lease it to a tenant, we recommend using your own commercial lease contract created using DoorLoop!
How long does a landlord have to fix something in Louisiana?
Landlords have a responsibility to maintain their rental properties, and if something goes wrong, they will have to repair it as soon as possible. However, significant issues, such as plumbing or heating problems, must be handled within 24 hours.