The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under La. Rev. Stat. Section 9:3251, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 30 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Louisiana generally does not impose a statewide deposit cap, and the landlord usually has 30 days after lease termination to send the refund or explain the withholding before the statute's attorney-fee and willfulness penalty language comes into play.
This dispute type
Louisiana renters usually push back on carpet-cleaning deductions when the landlord appears to be charging for routine turnover rather than a tenant-caused problem. The timing, itemization, and bad-faith rules still matter even when the landlord says the carpet needed extra work.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: You can recover the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney's fees; willful failure adds $300 or twice the amount wrongfully withheld, whichever is greater