2018 Legislative Session (Week 5)
LOUISIANA REALTORS • April 13, 2018
Updates from Bills discussed in Week 4
SENATE BILL NO. 462, SENATOR DANNY MARTINY – INCLUSIONARY ZONING
Currently, Louisiana allows municipalities and parishes to pass inclusionary zoning ordinances to promote the development of affordable housing. Inclusionary zoning requires housing developers to sell or rent a proportion of their units below market rate, regardless of the economics of a project or whether the developer receives just compensation. Senate Bill 462 would instead allow municipalities and parishes to offer VOLUNTARY economic incentive policies to promote the development of affordable housing.
This bill passed the Senate and now heads to the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs. Louisiana REALTORS® will be putting out a call to action Monday, April 16 for constituents of members of the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs to ask their representatives to vote yes on this important bill.
REGULATION OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Several bills are going through the legislature to modify how boards and commissions operate. Some of these bills would have an impact on real estate licensees and LR is continuing to work with the authors of these bills. To date, we have successfully convinced the authors of these bills to make some changes that benefit not only the real estate industry but others as well.
SENATE BILL NO. 466, SENATOR ED PRICE, CHANGES TO SECURITY DEPOSITS FOR RESIDENTIAL LEASES
This bill proposed a law change on security deposits for residential leases and potentially placed many additional burdens on residential lessors.
CONTACT US
Louisiana REALTORS® was opposed to certain components of the bill as it was initially filed. However, after amendments were put on the bill it now only provides that a tenant would have the right to recover the greater of either the amount of the portion of any security deposit wrongfully withheld or any portion of the security deposit wrongfully withheld plus $300.
These amendments significantly altered the bill and removed not only Louisiana REALTORS® opposition but also the opposition of the Apartment Association of Louisiana.
Louisiana’s 2026 Regular Session opened this week with several developments that matter directly to REALTORS ®, property managers and housing providers, alongside some broader political shifts worth watching. HB 292: Security Deposit Return Timelines Rep. Delisha Boyd’s HB 292, which addresses procedures for returning residential security deposits, was deferred to next week. This provides additional time for stakeholders to engage with members on practical impacts for lease administration, move out inspections and documentation standards. We’ll continue working to ensure any changes to deposit law are clear, workable and do not expose housing providers to unreasonable liability. Land Use and Development: St. James Parish Decision The Louisiana Supreme Court’s recent St. James Parish decision significantly tightens the standards for overturning local land use decisions, reinforcing that zoning and permitting authority rests with parish and municipal governments as long as their decisions are not arbitrary or capricious. For real estate and development, that means more predictability if projects are aligned with adopted plans and ordinances, but also higher stakes in local elections, planning processes and parish-level negotiations. Governor’s State of the State In his State of the State address, Governor Jeff Landry reiterated his push to phase out the state income tax, expand the LA GATOR and MJ Foster scholarship and workforce programs, and replace vehicle inspection stickers with a QR code system. These programs frame a debate around long-term competitiveness, workforce readiness and household cost of living which are all key drivers of housing demand and migration patterns. Business & Market Trends The business community is focusing the session on insurance, workforce and energy. Commercial and property insurance costs remain a top concern for employers and property owners, and we are monitoring civil justice and insurance reform proposals that could affect market stability and availability. At the same time, Louisiana is seeing more than $100 billion in announced industrial and data center projects, which could reshape local markets, labor conditions and housing needs in multiple regions of the state. Please view the weekly bill tracking report at the link below provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
Learn how Louisiana real estate regulations, disclosure laws, and licensing standards help protect homebuyers and create safer, more transparent transactions.
Nominations are open now through April 24, 2026, for the Louisiana REALTORS® 2025 REALTOR® of the Year & the 2025 Lawrence R. DeMarcay, Jr. Distinguished Service Award. Both awards are aimed to showcase an individual who has volunteered their time in service to the real estate industry. Recipients of the awards will be recognized during the Spring Legislative Conference. (Registration coming soon!) Please see the below links with the selection criteria and consider submitting a nomination today. Contact Donna Teekel at (225) 224-0704 or dteekel@larealtors.org with any questions.
