# Louisiana Landlord Repair Duty Explained | Who Pays the Repair?

> Louisiana's Civil Code (art. 2691, 2696) makes the lessor make necessary repairs and warrant against defects, but a lease clause can reallocate the duty.

**Who pays:** landlord

Louisiana's Civil Code requires the lessor to make necessary repairs and warrants the property free of defects, though a lease can reallocate this duty.

**Boundary:** Louisiana's Civil Code obligates the lessor to make all repairs necessary to keep the leased thing suitable for its purpose (art. 2691) and warrants the thing free of vices or defects preventing that use, including defects arising after delivery (art. 2696), though this duty can be waived or reallocated by lease clause under Louisiana's freedom-of-contract lease-law defaults.

**Exceptions:** These default duties can be waived or reallocated by specific lease language, so the actual lease terms control more here than in URLTA states.

## Sources
- [La. Civ. Code art. 2691: "Lessor's obligation for repairs"](https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=109753) — "During the lease, the lessor is bound to make all repairs that become necessary to maintain the thing in a condition suitable for the purpose for which it was leased, except those for which the lessee is responsible." (accessed 2026-09-13)
- [La. Civ. Code art. 2696: "Warranty against vices or defects"](https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=109758) — "The lessor warrants the lessee that the thing is suitable for the purpose for which it was leased and that it is free of vices or defects that prevent its use for that purpose. This warranty also extends to vices or defects that arise after the delivery of the thing and are not attributable to the fault of the lessee." (accessed 2026-09-13)

_Last verified 2026-09-19. Source: Who Pays the Repair? — https://whopaystherepair.com/rules/louisiana-landlord-tenant-repair/ — every claim checked against a primary source before publication (see /methodology/)._