Louisiana landlord-tenant law does not specifically forbid or permit subleasing. However, case law has supported that a landlord cannot arbitrarily refuse a request for subleasing if a tenant has found a qualified individual to pay rent in his or her place. Nevertheless, it is always important to obtain written permission from the landlord or property manager before entering a sublease agreement.
A sublease is an agreement between the original tenant (sublessor or sublandlord) under a lease agreement for a rental unit and a new individual (sublessee or subtenant) who does not have a direct connection with the original lease agreement. The sublease agreement is tied to and incorporates the original (master) lease. In Louisiana, if the original lease does not contain language giving permission for the tenant to enter into a sublease, the original tenant (sublessor) must obtain written permission from the landlord to do so. The original tenant (sublessor) is still bound by all the requirements/obligations under the original (master) lease agreement.
A Louisiana sublease agreement should include the following sections: