Louisiana Late Rent Fees and Grace Period

No provision of the Louisiana Civil Code lease articles (arts. 2668-2729) limits the size of a residential late fee or requires a grace period before one may be charged. Under Louisiana's freedom-of-contract tradition, a late fee is enforceable only if the written lease provides for it, and the lease terms control the amount and timing. There is no statutory grace period, so a fee may apply once rent is past due unless the lease grants one. Because the charge is treated as stipulated damages, an unreasonably high fee may be reduced by a court if it is found to be a punitive penalty rather than a reasonable estimate of the lessor's loss, but Louisiana fixes no dollar or percentage ceiling.

No specific statutory penalty. There is no statutory late-fee cap or grace period to violate; a court may reduce a fee found to be a punitive penalty rather than a reasonable damages estimate under general contract principles.