Louisiana tenant screening laws

Before you accept an application fee, you must give the applicant written notice of the fee amount; whether you consider credit scores, employment history, criminal history or eviction records; and that the applicant may share a statement of 200 words or less about financial hardship from a declared disaster or emergency. The hardship notice must mention the COVID-19 pandemic and hurricanes (La. R.S. 9:3258.1).

• The rule covers every lessor of a home the tenant will use as a primary residence, except an owner-occupied building of no more than four units (La. R.S. 9:3258.1).
• The notice may be delivered, stored and shown electronically if the method meets the Louisiana Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (La. R.S. 9:3258.1).
• The law gives no one a right to sue over a violation of this section, and the sections read set no limit on the amount of the fee (La. R.S. 9:3258.1).

Louisiana's fair housing law bars refusing to rent, or setting different terms, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, military status, or natural, protective or cultural hairstyle. It also bars discriminatory advertising (La. R.S. 51:2602; La. R.S. 51:2606).

• Some dwellings and religious or private organizations are exempt; the exemptions are listed in R.S. 51:2604(B) and 51:2605 (La. R.S. 51:2604; La. R.S. 51:2605).
• Familial status covers households with children under eighteen living with a parent, legal custodian or their designee (La. R.S. 51:2603).
• A tenant with a disability who has a service dog may not be charged extra for the dog, though the tenant is liable for any damage the dog does, and interfering with that right is a misdemeanor carrying a $100 to $500 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, plus the tenant's actual damages (La. R.S. 46:1954; La. R.S. 46:1956).
• Louisiana fines healthcare providers who issue support animal documentation without a therapeutic relationship of at least thirty days, and people who misrepresent a need for a support animal, but that law does not limit a tenant's fair housing right to a reasonable accommodation (La. R.S. 46:1974; La. R.S. 46:1977; La. R.S. 46:1978).
• It is also unlawful to coerce, intimidate, threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising a fair housing right or helping someone else do so (La. R.S. 51:2609).
• For housing covered by the state act, necessary reasonable changes to rules, policies, practices or services can be required so a person with a disability has an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the home. Necessary reasonable physical modifications are a separate duty and are at that person's expense under this provision. Where reasonable, a rental owner may require an agreement to restore the interior, with ordinary wear and tear excepted (La. R.S. 51:2606(A)(6)(c)(i), (ii)).
• Disability protection reaches beyond the applicant. It also covers a resident or intended resident of the home and anyone associated with the buyer or renter. Consider whose disability is involved when reviewing access, rental terms or an accommodation request; the named applicant need not be the person with a disability (La. R.S. 51:2606(A)(6)(a), (b)).