Assistance Animals (SB 286) & Rental Registries (SB 378) - Legislation Filed on Behalf of Louisiana REALTORS

The first bill has to do with assistance animals. Assistance animals can be incredibly helpful to people with disabilities. But in recent years there has been a significant uptick in people abusing this part of the Fair Housing Act by trying to pass their pet off as an assistance animal. SB286 by Senator J. Rogers Pope would impose fines when people are convicted of submitting false documentation about the need for an assistance animal when filling out rental applications.  The need for this type of proactive legislation has increased with the rise of online services that provide documentation for purchase to people to show proof for the need for assistance animals.

The second bill has to do with local governments considering and implementing rental registries and inspections for properties being used for long term residential rental property. This does not apply to short term rentals, but rather properties that have tenants.SB378 by Senator Heather Cloud would prohibit local governments from making these requirements of the property owner. While Louisiana REALTORS® fully supports safe and decent housing for everyone, these requirements would add an additional layer of bureaucracy and red tape and result in higher rent for consumers and possibly even more vacant properties.