Tenant screening and landlord-tenant law in louisiana

Louisiana has no statewide statute capping tenant screening or rental application fees. Confirm any parish/city fee cap against current local law before setting a fee.

Louisiana's Open Housing Act, La. R.S. 51:2606, lists race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, military status, disability, and "natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle" as protected characteristics in housing — a notably broader list than the federal Fair Housing Act's classes because of the hairstyle protection (added 2022, amended 2025), but it does not include criminal history. Louisiana has no consumer-reporting statute analogous to some other states' limits on reporting non-conviction criminal charges. Federal disparate-impact guidance on criminal-history screening under the Fair Housing Act may also apply, as recognized in Texas Dept. of Housing & Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project (2015).

Source of income is not listed as a protected class under La. R.S. 51:2606, and Louisiana has no statewide law protecting housing voucher holders from denial. A 2021 Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center report recommended that New Orleans consider adopting a source-of-income discrimination ordinance. Landlords should confirm with New Orleans or any other Louisiana city whether a local source-of-income ordinance has since been adopted.

Louisiana has no specific addition to FCRA's adverse action requirements. The federal baseline generally applies: if you deny an application or offer different terms based on a consumer report, FCRA §615 generally requires notifying the applicant, naming the reporting agency, and explaining their dispute rights.

Under La. R.S. 9:3251, a security deposit generally must be returned within one month after the lease terminates, minus any amount reasonably needed to cover unpaid rent or unreasonable wear; if any portion is withheld, the landlord generally must send an itemized statement within that same one-month window. This one-month deadline does not apply if the tenant abandons the premises without proper notice or before the lease ends. Louisiana does not cap the deposit amount itself. Under La. R.S. 9:3252, a landlord's willful failure to comply lets the tenant recover the wrongfully withheld amount plus $300 or twice the wrongfully withheld amount, whichever is greater; failing to remit within 30 days of a written demand counts as willful failure.

Louisiana does not have a statewide rent-control law. No specific statute expressly preempting local rent control has been identified, so landlords in parishes and cities such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport should confirm whether any local rent-control ordinances are in effect. For evictions, Louisiana generally requires a landlord to serve a written notice to vacate before filing an eviction suit, under the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure's eviction articles (commonly cited beginning at Article 4701). The exact statutory notice period must be confirmed against the current text of the relevant articles.

New Orleans may have its own source-of-income or criminal-history housing ordinance; confirm current city code before finalizing a screening policy. A 2021 Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center report recommended the city adopt source-of-income protections, which may indicate none existed at that time; confirm current status. Baton Rouge and Shreveport may have tenant-screening-specific ordinances; confirm current city code before finalizing a screening policy. Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties, and unincorporated parish areas outside city limits are generally governed by parish (police jury or parish council) government rather than a separate "unincorporated county" regime — a different structure than California's, so a landlord operating outside any city limits should check parish-level rules rather than assuming a county equivalent applies.

Does Louisiana cap security deposit amounts? No. Louisiana law sets a return timeline and itemization requirement (generally within one month of lease termination) but does not cap how much a landlord can charge as a deposit.

Is source of income a protected class in Louisiana? Not under state law. Louisiana's Open Housing Act does not list source of income among protected characteristics. Landlords should confirm whether any Louisiana city has enacted a local source-of-income ordinance.

What happens if a Louisiana landlord doesn't return a deposit on time? If the failure is willful, the tenant can generally recover the wrongfully withheld amount plus $300 or twice that amount, whichever is greater, and missing a 30-day response to a written demand counts as willful under Louisiana law.

Does Louisiana law protect natural or cultural hairstyles in housing decisions? Yes — Louisiana's Open Housing Act includes "natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle" as a protected characteristic, which is broader than the federal Fair Housing Act's list.

Checkr helps landlords and property managers run FCRA-compliant tenant screening with fast turnaround and built-in adverse action workflows. Get started with Checkr to set up compliant screening for your Louisiana rental.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.