La. Civ. Code § Art. 2680
Duration supplied by law; legal term
Operative Text
Art. 2680. Duration supplied by law; legal term If the parties have not agreed on the duration of the term, the duration is established in accordance with the following rules: (1) An agricultural lease shall be from year to year. (2) Any other lease of an immovable, or a lease of a movable to be used as a residence, shall be from month to month. (3) A lease of other movables shall be from day to day, unless the rent was fixed by longer or shorter periods, in which case the term shall be one such period, not to exceed one month.
Louisiana Civil Code article § Art. 2680 establishes default lease durations when the parties have not agreed on a specific term. Agricultural leases automatically run year to year, while leases of immovable property (such as a house or apartment) or movable property used as a residence default to a month-to-month arrangement. Leases of other movable property default to day to day, though if rent is set by a longer or shorter period, the term matches that period up to a maximum of one month.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under La. Civ. Code art. § Art. 2680, property owners and managers who do not specify a lease term in their agreements will find that Louisiana law fills in that gap automatically. For residential immovable property, this means the tenancy defaults to month to month, which affects notice requirements and renewal expectations. Operators who prefer a different arrangement—such as a fixed annual term—generally ensure that duration is clearly stated in the written lease to avoid the statutory default applying.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
La. Civ. Code art. § Art. 2680 provides tenants with a baseline protection: if your lease does not specify a duration, Louisiana law determines the term for you. For most residential renters—whether renting a house, apartment, or a movable used as a home—this means the tenancy is month to month by default, which can affect how much notice is required before the tenancy ends. Tenants who have questions about how this default term interacts with their specific lease or a notice they have received may benefit from consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service familiar with Louisiana housing law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 17, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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