Louisiana · Statute

Louisiana Equal Housing Opportunity Act

Louisiana's fair-housing statute protects nine characteristics — two more than the federal Fair Housing Act, after the legislature added natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle in 2022 and military status in 2025. It reaches an association's rules, policies and practices, it requires reasonable accommodations and permits reasonable modifications, and it is administered by the attorney general. The full statutory text, hosted for reference, with a plain-language guide for homeowners.

La. R.S.Equal Housing Opportunity Act§§ 51:2601 – 261414 SectionsCurrent through the 2025 Regular Session
What this means for homeowners

The Louisiana Equal Housing Opportunity Act (La. R.S. 51:2601 to 51:2614) is Chapter 43 of Title 51. It was enacted by Acts 1991, No. 527, effective 1 January 1992, and tracks the federal Fair Housing Act closely in structure — but not in its list of protected characteristics, and not in who runs it.

Nine protected characteristics, not seven

The classes named through §§ 51:2606 to 51:2608 are race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, military status, and natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle. The last two are recent additions: Acts 2022, No. 529 added natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle — Louisiana’s CROWN Act, which the same section of the same act also wrote into the Human Rights Commission chapter at §§ 51:2232 and 51:2236 — and Acts 2025, No. 100 added military status. Any summary of Louisiana fair-housing law written before 2022 — including the one this page replaces — lists only the seven federal classes.

  • Military status means a member of the uniformed forces as defined in 10 U.S.C. 101(a)(5) or a reserve component under 10 U.S.C. 10101, or a dependent as defined in 50 U.S.C. 3911(4), with a 180-day support test measured back from the alleged discrimination rather than from an application for relief (§ 51:2603(10)).
  • Natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle is defined by an open list: “afros, dreadlocks, twists, locs, braids, cornrow braids, Bantu knots, curls, and hair styled to protect hair texture or for cultural significance” (§ 51:2603(11)). The words include but is not limited to are in the statute.
  • Disability takes the federal three-part definition — a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting a major life activity, a record of one, or being regarded as having one — and excludes current illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance (§ 51:2603(5)).
  • Familial status covers a person under eighteen domiciled with a parent or legal custodian or their written designee, and expressly protects anyone pregnant or in the process of securing legal custody (§ 51:2603(8)).

One precision worth having. The two most-cited prohibitions — refusing to sell or rent (§ 51:2606(A)(1)) and discriminating in the terms, conditions or privileges of sale or rental (§ 51:2606(A)(2)) — do not list disability among their characteristics. Disability is not left out of the Act; it has its own Paragraph, § 51:2606(A)(6), which separately forbids both refusing and discriminating in terms because of disability, and which extends to a disability of someone who will live in the dwelling or anyone associated with the buyer or renter.

Why this reaches a homeowners association

Because of two things read together. “Person” in this Chapter “includes one or more individuals, corporations, partnerships, associations, labor organizations, legal representatives, mutual companies, joint stock companies, trusts, unincorporated organizations, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers, and fiduciaries” (§ 51:2603(12)) — a Louisiana HOA is a corporation or an unincorporated association, so it is squarely a person. And § 51:2606(A)(6)(c)(ii) makes it discrimination to refuse “to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling”. Rules, policies and practices are what an association is.

The companion duty is modifications: it is discrimination to refuse to permit, at the expense of the person with a disability, reasonable modifications of the premises where necessary for full enjoyment — and in a rental, the landlord may where reasonable require restoration of the interior afterwards, reasonable wear and tear excepted (§ 51:2606(A)(6)(c)(i)). Note which one costs whom: an accommodation is a change in a rule; a modification is a physical change the requester pays for.

One further prohibition reaches an association untouched by the § 51:2604(B) exemptions, which are keyed to § 51:2606 alone — though the religious, private-club and occupancy provisions of § 51:2605 are written against the whole Chapter. It is unlawful “to coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person in the exercise or enjoyment of” a right under this Chapter, or on account of having exercised one or having aided or encouraged another person to (§ 51:2609) — the retaliation provision. Alongside it sits a safe harbour rather than a duty: no dwelling need be made available to a person whose tenancy “would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or whose tenancy would result in substantial physical damage to the property of others” (§ 51:2606(C)), which is the narrow safety exception and is written about the individual, not about a category.

New construction: the design and construction rules

For covered multifamily dwellings first occupied after 13 March 1991, failing to design and build them accessibly is itself discrimination (§ 51:2606(A)(6)(c)(iii)). Public and common-use portions must be readily accessible and usable; doors must be wide enough for wheelchair passage; and premises must have an accessible route, reachable light switches, outlets, thermostats and environmental controls, reinforcements in bathroom walls for later grab bars, and kitchens and bathrooms a wheelchair user can manoeuvre in. Compliance with ANSI A117.1 satisfies the adaptive-design requirements (§ 51:2606(A)(6)(d)). A “covered multifamily dwelling” is a building of four or more units with an elevator, and ground-floor units in other buildings of four or more (§ 51:2606(A)(6)(e)). A local law giving greater access is not displaced (§ 51:2606(B)).

The exemptions, and what they do not cover

  • The small private owner. A single-family house sold or rented by an owner who owns no more than three at a time is outside § 51:2606 — but only if sold or rented without any real estate broker or salesperson and without discriminatory advertising. And on a sale, where the owner was not residing in the house at the time of sale or was not its most recent resident, the exemption is good for only one such sale in any twenty-four month period (§ 51:2604(B)(1)). The cap is on sales, not rentals.
  • The owner-occupied small building. Rooms or units in a dwelling for no more than four families living independently, where the owner actually lives in one of them (§ 51:2604(B)(2)).
  • Neither exemption covers the advertising ban. § 51:2604(B) exempts “[n]othing in R.S. 51:2606, except Paragraph A(3) thereof” — so the prohibition on discriminatory notices, statements and advertisements applies to everyone.
  • Religious organisations and private clubs may prefer their own. The religious exemption covers the sale, rental or occupancy of non-commercial dwellings the body owns or operates, and fails if membership itself is restricted by race, colour or national origin (§ 51:2605(A)). The private-club exemption is narrower: it covers only rental or occupancy of lodgings it owns or operates for a non-commercial purpose (§ 51:2605(B)).
  • Two age-related carve-outs, both from the familial-status provisions only and not from the rest of the Act: dwellings provided under a state or federal programme specifically designed and operated to assist elderly persons, and housing for older persons, which means either housing intended for and at least eighty percent occupied by at least one person aged fifty-five or older per unit, with significant facilities and services for them and published policies showing that intent; or housing intended for and occupied solely by persons sixty-two or older (§ 51:2605(C)).
  • Reasonable occupancy limits in local, state or federal law are untouched (§ 51:2605(C)).

Who you complain to, and by when

§ 51:2610(A) settles the question that most Louisiana summaries get wrong: “The authority and responsibility for administering this Chapter are with the Louisiana Department of Justice, office of the attorney general.” Not a human-rights commission. The attorney general may delegate functions to his own employees or, with the governor's approval, to the governor's office or agencies under the governor (§ 51:2610(B)(1)), and may certify a local agency whose substantive rights, procedures, remedies and judicial review are substantially equivalent, then refer complaints to it (§ 51:2611(D)).

  • One year to complain. A complaint to the attorney general must be filed “not later than one year after the alleged discriminatory housing practice occurs”, in writing, stating the facts (§ 51:2611(B)). The civil rights section may also file on a person's behalf (§ 51:2611(A)).
  • Ten days each way. The attorney general must serve the respondent within ten days of filing; the respondent may answer within ten days of receiving it (§ 51:2611(A)(2), (B)).
  • Mediation is mandatory and comes first. Within ten days of the answer (or five days after the time to answer runs out) the complaint must be referred to a three-member mediation panel of government employees. If it is not resolved within thirty days, it goes back for investigation, which “shall commence immediately” (§ 51:2611(C), 51:2610(B)(2)).
  • One hundred days to investigate. The attorney general must complete the investigation within one hundred days of the complaint unless it is impracticable — and if he cannot, he must notify the parties in writing of the reasons (§ 51:2611(F), (G)).
  • Conciliation costs you the claim. Every conciliation agreement shall provide that the complainant “waives, releases, and covenants not to sue the respondent or claim against the respondent in any forum” on the matters complained of, subject to the respondent performing (§ 51:2611(E)). Read one carefully before signing.
  • Investigative powers are real. The section may enter premises at reasonable times, copy records, issue interrogatories and subpoena witnesses and documents, with district court enforcement for refusal — and anyone appearing may be represented by counsel (§ 51:2612).

Going to court

  • Two years, in state court. If no complaint has been filed with the attorney general, an aggrieved person may sue “in an appropriate state court of general jurisdiction within two years after the alleged discriminatory housing practice occurred” (§ 51:2613(A)). This is a state action; the federal action under 42 U.S.C. 3613 is a separate remedy in a separate forum, and the two are commonly confused. Title 42 of the United States Code is not reproduced on this site; read the federal deadline at the source rather than assuming it matches this one.
  • The two-year outer limit is hard. Where a complaint was filed and then dismissed, or the attorney general neither sued nor conciliated, he must notify the complainant — but “[i]n no event, including the failure of the attorney general to issue the notification required herein, shall any action be brought pursuant to this Chapter more than two years after the alleged discriminatory housing practice occurred” (§ 51:2613(C)).
  • One year on a broken conciliation agreement (§ 51:2613(B)).
  • Choose one forum. “If a party elects to proceed on a claim in a federal court, he shall be precluded from filing the same claim in an appropriate court of this state.” (§ 51:2613(H)). It says nothing about the reverse. And nothing in the Chapter impairs a right of action under 42 U.S.C. 3610, 3612 or 3613 “except, if applicable, on agreement between the parties” (§ 51:2613(G)) — which is where a signed conciliation agreement bites.
  • What a court can award. Injunctions and other orders, actual damages and punitive damages, court costs and reasonable attorney fees to a prevailing plaintiff (§ 51:2613(E)) — and costs and fees to a prevailing defendant consistent with federal civil rights standards (§ 51:2613(I)). A court may also appoint an attorney for a plaintiff and allow the case to proceed without fees, costs or security (§ 51:2613(D)).
  • The attorney general's own suit. On reasonable cause and no conciliation, he shall bring a civil action for injunctive and other relief, and the court may award actual and punitive damages to any person denied a right (§ 51:2614(A), (B)). If at any point after a complaint he concludes a practice has occurred or is about to, he shall promptly seek temporary or preliminary relief (§ 51:2614(C)).
  • Innocent third parties are protected. A sale, encumbrance or rental completed before a court order, involving a bona fide purchaser, encumbrancer or tenant without actual notice of the complaint or action, is not affected (§ 51:2613(F)).
How this Act fits with the rest of Louisiana HOA law

It applies on top of the association statutes, not instead of them. Nothing in the Planned Community Act or the Condominium Act displaces this Chapter, and nothing here depends on what your declaration says. An association rule that is perfectly valid under § 9:1141.37 can still be an unlawful refusal to accommodate under § 51:2606(A)(6)(c)(ii).

The federal Act runs alongside it. The federal Fair Housing Act covers seven characteristics; Louisiana covers those seven plus hairstyle and military status. So a complaint about a protective hairstyle or military status has a state route that the federal statute does not provide — and the preclusion in § 51:2613(H) runs one way: electing federal court forecloses the same claim in state court, while § 51:2613(G) preserves the federal causes of action. It is still a decision to take before filing rather than after.

Disability rights come from more than one place. This Chapter's accommodation and modification duties are the ones that reach an association's rules and its common areas. The Americans with Disabilities Act is a different statute with a different trigger — public accommodation rather than dwelling — and a Louisiana association may be subject to both, neither, or one, depending on what it operates and to whom.

Where enforcement actually happens. The administrative deadlines in this Act all run through the office of the attorney general (§ 51:2610(A)): one year to complain, ten days to serve, mandatory mediation, one hundred days to investigate unless that is impracticable. The two-year limit is different in kind — it is a court deadline, and § 51:2613(A) opens “[i]f no complaint has been filed with the attorney general”, so an attorney general complaint is not a precondition to suing. A certified local agency may take a referral (§ 51:2611(D)), but the Act's own administrator is the attorney general.

Contents · 14 sections ▾
  1. 51:2601Title
  2. 51:2602Policy
  3. 51:2603Definitions
  4. 51:2604Prohibitions; applicability; exceptions
  5. 51:2605Exemptions
  6. 51:2606Discrimination in sale or rental of housing and other prohibited practices
  7. 51:2607Discrimination in residential real estate related transactions
  8. 51:2608Discrimination in provision of brokerage services
  9. 51:2609Interference, coercion, or intimidation
  10. 51:2610Administration
  11. 51:2611Enforcement
  12. 51:2612Right to examine and copy evidence; summoning witnesses and documents and taking testimony; right to counsel; court aid; process; service and return; fees of witnesses
  13. 51:2613Enforcement by private persons
  14. 51:2614Enforcement by attorney general

No sections match that filter.

§ 51:2601 Title

This Chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Louisiana Equal Housing Opportunity Act".

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1997, No. 1141, §1, eff. July 1, 1999.

§ 51:2602 Policy

A. The legislature finds and declares that persons in this state who seek a place to live should be able to find such housing whenever it is available. Further, in many localities there may be housing shortages. All persons should therefore be able to compete for available housing on an open, fair, and equitable basis, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, military status, or natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle.

B. It is therefore declared to be the policy of Louisiana that there is a legitimate governmental interest in protecting the welfare of the people of Louisiana by enacting equal housing opportunity legislation to discourage discriminatory housing practices.

C. It is the policy of the state of Louisiana to provide, within state and federal constitutional limitations, for fair and equal housing opportunity throughout the state.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1997, No. 1141, §1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2014, No. 811, §28, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2022, No. 529, §3; Acts 2025, No. 100, §4.

§ 51:2603 Definitions

As used in this Chapter:

(1) "Aggrieved person" includes any person who:

(a) Claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice; or

(b) Believes that he will be injured by a discriminatory housing practice that is about to occur.

(2) "Complainant" means that person who files a complaint pursuant to R.S. 51:2611.

(3) "Conciliation" means the attempted resolution of issues raised by a complaint, or by the investigation of such complaint, through informal negotiations involving the aggrieved person, the respondent, and the attorney general or his designee.

(4) "Conciliation agreement" means a written agreement setting forth the resolution of the issues in conciliation.

(5)(a) "Disability" means, with respect to a person:

(i) A physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities.

(ii) A record of having such an impairment; or

(iii) Being regarded as having such an impairment,

(b) Such term does not include current, illegal use of, or addiction to a controlled substance as defined in Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. 802.

(6) "Discriminatory housing practice" means an act that is unlawful pursuant to R.S. 51:2606 through 2609.

(7) "Dwelling" means any building, structure, or portion thereof which is occupied as, or designed or intended for occupancy as, a residence by one or more families, and any vacant land which is offered for sale or lease for the construction or location thereon at any such building, structure, or portion thereof.

(8)(a) "Familial status" means one or more individuals, who have not attained the age of eighteen years, being domiciled with:

(i) A parent or another person having legal custody of such individual or individuals; or

(ii) The designee of such parent or other person having such custody, with the written permission of such parent or other person.

(b) The protections afforded against discrimination on the basis of familial status shall apply to any person who is pregnant or is in the process of securing legal custody of any individual who has not attained the age of eighteen years.

(9) "Family" includes a single individual.

(10) "Military status" means status as:

(a) A member of the uniformed forces, as defined in 10 U.S.C. 101(a)(5), of the United States or a reserve component thereof named under 10 U.S.C. 10101.

(b) A dependent as defined in 50 U.S.C. 3911(4) except that the support provided by the service member to the individual shall have been provided one hundred eighty days immediately preceding an alleged action that if proven true would constitute unlawful discrimination under this Section instead of one hundred eighty days immediately preceding an application for relief under 50 U.S.C. Chapter 50.

(11) "Natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle" shall include but is not limited to afros, dreadlocks, twists, locs, braids, cornrow braids, Bantu knots, curls, and hair styled to protect hair texture or for cultural significance.

(12) "Person" includes one or more individuals, corporations, partnerships, associations, labor organizations, legal representatives, mutual companies, joint stock companies, trusts, unincorporated organizations, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers, and fiduciaries.

(13) "Respondent" means the person or other entity accused in a complaint of a discriminatory housing practice, or, any other person or entity identified in the course of an investigation and notified that they are a respondent who shall be joined in the complaint.

(14) "To rent" includes to lease, to sublease, to let, and otherwise to grant for a consideration the right to occupy premises owned by the occupant.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 569, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §28, eff. July 23, 2014; Acts 2022, No. 529, §3; Acts 2025, No. 100, §4.

§ 51:2604 Prohibitions; applicability; exceptions

A. Subject to the provisions of Subsection B of this Section and R.S. 51:2605, the prohibitions against discrimination in the sale or rental of housing set forth in R.S. 51:2606 shall apply to:

(1) Dwellings owned or operated by the federal government, this state, or by any political subdivision of this state.

(2) Dwellings financed in whole or in part with the aid of loans, advances, grants, or contributions made by:

(a) This state or any political subdivision of this state.

(b) The federal government under agreements entered into after November 20, 1962, unless payment due thereon has been made in full prior to April 11, 1968.

(3) Dwellings provided in whole or in part by loans insured, guaranteed, or otherwise secured by the credit of the federal government under agreements entered into after November 20, 1962, unless payment thereon has been made in full prior to April 11, 1968; provided that nothing contained in Paragraphs (2) and (3) of this Subsection shall be applicable to dwellings solely by virtue of the fact that they are subject to mortgages held by an institution insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

(4) Dwellings provided by the development or the redevelopment of real property purchased, rented, or otherwise obtained from a state or local public agency receiving federal financial assistance for slum clearance or urban renewal with respect to such real property under loan or grant contracts entered into after November 20, 1962.

(5) All other dwellings except as exempted by Subsection B of this Section.

B. Nothing in R.S. 51:2606, except Paragraph A(3) thereof, shall apply to any of the following dwellings:

(1) Any single-family house sold or rented by an owner, provided that such private individual owner does not own more than three such single-family houses at any one time; provided further, that in the case of the sale of any such single-family house by a private individual owner not residing in such house at the time of such sale or who was not the most recent resident of such house prior to such sale, the exemption granted by this Paragraph shall apply only with respect to one such sale within any twenty-four month period; provided further, that such bona fide private individual owner does not own any interest in, nor is there owned or reserved on his behalf, under any express or voluntary agreement, title to or any right to all or a portion of the proceeds from the sale or rental of, more than three such single-family houses at any one time; provided further that the sale or rental of any such single-family house shall be excepted from the application of this provision only if such house is sold or rented without the use in any manner of the sales or rental facilities or the sales or rental services of any real estate broker or salesperson, or of such facilities or services of any person in the business of selling or renting dwellings, or of any employee or agent of any such broker, salesperson, or person and without the publication, posting, or mailing of any advertisement or written notice in violation of R.S. 51:2606(A)(3), but nothing in this provision shall prohibit the use of attorneys, escrow agents, abstractors, title companies, and other such professional assistance as is necessary to perfect or transfer the title.

(2) Rooms or units in dwellings containing living quarters occupied or intended to be occupied by no more than four families living independently of each other, if the owner actually maintains and occupies one of such living quarters at his residence.

C. For the purposes of Subsection B of this Section, a person shall be deemed to be in the business of selling or renting dwellings if any of the following situations exist:

(1) He has, within the preceding twelve months, participated as principal in three or more transactions involving the sale or rental of any dwelling or any interest therein.

(2) He has, within the preceding twelve months, participated as agent, other than in the sale of his own personal residence, in providing sales or rental facilities or rental services in two or more transactions involving the sale or rental of any dwelling or any interest therein.

(3) He is the owner of any dwelling designed or intended for occupancy by, or occupied by, five or more families.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992.

§ 51:2605 Exemptions

A. Nothing in this Chapter shall prohibit a religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from limiting the sale, rental, or occupancy of dwellings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, or national origin.

B. Nothing in this Chapter shall prohibit a private club not in fact open to the public, which as an incident to its primary purpose or purposes provides lodgings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose, from limiting the rental or occupancy of such lodgings to its members or from giving preference to its members.

C. Nothing in this Chapter limits the applicability of any reasonable local, state, or federal restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling, nor does any provision in this Chapter regarding familial status apply with respect to dwellings provided under any state or federal program specifically designed and operated to assist elderly persons, as defined in the state or federal program, or to housing for older persons. As used in this Subsection, "housing for older persons" means housing communities consisting of dwellings either:

(1)(a) Intended for, and at least eighty percent occupied by, at least one person who is fifty-five years of age or older per unit and providing significant facilities and services specifically designed to meet the physical or social needs of such persons; and

(b) The publication of, and adherence to, policies and procedures which demonstrate an intent by the owner or manager to provide housing for persons fifty-five years or older; or

(2) Intended for and occupied solely by persons sixty-two years of age or older.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 569, §1.

§ 51:2606 Discrimination in sale or rental of housing and other prohibited practices

A. As made applicable by R.S. 51:2604, and except as exempted by R.S. 51:2604(B) and 2605, it is unlawful:

(1) To refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, or to refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, military status, or natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle.

(2) To discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith, because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, military status, or natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle.

(3) To make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published any notice, statement, or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, military status, or natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.

(4) To represent to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, military status, or natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle that any dwelling is not available for inspection, sale, or rental when such dwelling is in fact so available.

(5) For profit, to induce or attempt to induce any person to sell or rent any dwelling by representations regarding the entry or prospective entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, military status, or natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle.

(6)(a) To discriminate in the sale or rental, or to otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any buyer or renter because of a disability of:

(i) That buyer or renter;

(ii) A person residing in or intending to reside in that dwelling after it is so sold, rented, or made available; or

(iii) Any person associated with that buyer or renter.

(b) To discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection with such dwelling, because of a disability of:

(i) That person;

(ii) A person residing in or intending to reside in that dwelling after it is so sold, rented, or made available; or

(iii) Any person associated with that person.

(c) For purposes of this Paragraph, discrimination includes:

(i) A refusal to permit, at the expense of the person with a disability, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by such person if such modifications may be necessary to afford such person full enjoyment of the premises except that, in the case of a rental, the landlord may, where it is reasonable to do so, condition permission for a modification on the renter agreeing to restore the interior of the premises to the condition that existed before the modification, reasonable wear and tear excepted;

(ii) A refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling; or

(iii) In connection with the design and construction of covered multifamily dwellings for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, a failure to design and construct those dwellings in such a manner that:

(aa) The public use and common use portions of such dwellings are readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.

(bb) All doors designed to allow passage into and within all premises within such dwellings are sufficiently wide to allow passage by persons who use wheelchairs.

(cc) All premises within such dwellings contain the following features of adaptive design:

(I) An accessible route into and through the dwelling;

(II) Light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other environmental controls in accessible locations;

(III) Reinforcements in bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab bars; and

(IV) Usable kitchens and bathrooms such that an individual in a wheelchair can maneuver about the space.

(d) Compliance with the appropriate requirements of the American National Standard for buildings and facilities providing accessibility and usability for persons with disabilities (commonly cited as "ANSI A117.1") suffices to satisfy the requirements of R.S. 51:2606(A)(6)(c)(iii)(cc).

(e) For purposes of Paragraph (6), the term "covered multifamily dwellings" means buildings consisting of four or more units if such buildings have one or more elevators, and ground floor units in other buildings consisting of four or more units.

B. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to invalidate or limit any law of this state or a political subdivision of this state that requires dwellings to be designed and constructed in a manner that affords persons with disabilities greater access than is required by this Section.

C. Nothing in this Section requires that a dwelling be made available to an individual whose tenancy would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or whose tenancy would result in substantial physical damage to the property of others.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 569, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §28, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2022, No. 529, §3; Acts 2025, No. 100, §4.

§ 51:2607 Discrimination in residential real estate related transactions

A. It is unlawful for any person or other entity whose business includes engaging in residential real estate related transactions to discriminate against any person in making available such a transaction, or in the terms or conditions of such a transaction, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, military status, or natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle.

B. As used in this Section, the term "residential real estate related transaction" means any of the following:

(1) The making or purchasing of loans or providing other financial assistance:

(a) For purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing, or maintaining a dwelling.

(b) Secured by residential real estate.

(2) The selling, brokering, or appraising of residential real property.

C. Nothing in this Chapter prohibits a person engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property to take into consideration factors other than race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, military status, or familial status.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 2014, No. 811, §28, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2022, No. 529, §3; Acts 2025, No. 100, §4.

§ 51:2608 Discrimination in provision of brokerage services

It is unlawful to deny any person access to or membership or participation in any multiple-listing service, real estate brokers' organization or other service, organization, or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings, or to discriminate against him in the terms or conditions of such access, membership, or participation, on account of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, military status, or natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 2014, No. 811, §28, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2022, No. 529, §3; Acts 2025, No. 100, §4.

§ 51:2609 Interference, coercion, or intimidation

It is unlawful to coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of his having exercised or enjoyed, or on account of his having aided or encouraged any other person in the exercise or enjoyment of, any right granted or protected by this Chapter.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992.

§ 51:2610 Administration

A. The authority and responsibility for administering this Chapter are with the Louisiana Department of Justice, office of the attorney general.

B.(1) The attorney general may delegate to the employees of his office, or, with the approval of the governor, to employees of the office of the governor or to boards or agencies under the authority of the governor, the functions, duties, and powers with respect to mediating, investigating, conciliating, hearing, determining, ordering, certifying, reporting, or otherwise acting as to any work, business, or matter under this Chapter. In developing mediation procedures to resolve complaints filed pursuant to this Chapter, the attorney general may request the assistance of members of the real estate and housing industry and other interested persons.

(2) For purposes of mediation, under this Chapter, the attorney general shall appoint a panel, consisting of three members who are government employees, who shall serve at his pleasure. The members of the panel shall be employees of the attorney general's office.

C. All state, parish, and local departments and agencies shall administer their programs and activities relating to housing and urban development in a manner to further the purposes of this Chapter and shall cooperate with the attorney general to further these purposes.

D. The attorney general may:

(1) Make studies with respect to the nature and extent of discriminatory housing practices in representative communities, urban, suburban, and rural, throughout the state.

(2) Publish and disseminate reports, recommendations, and information derived from such studies.

(3) Cooperate with and render technical assistance to federal, state, local, and other public or private agencies, organizations, and institutions which are formulating or carrying on programs to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices.

(4) Cooperate with and enter into agreements with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and other United States agencies and enter into intergovernmental agreements with state and local agencies interested in practices governed by this Chapter, accept monies from these agencies and carry out and perform the covenants and conditions of any written agreement with such agencies not inconsistent with or beyond the provisions of this Chapter.

(5) Administer the programs and activities relating to housing in a manner affirmatively to further the policies of this Chapter.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 569, §1.

§ 51:2611 Enforcement

A. An aggrieved person claiming to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice, or who believes that he will be injured by a discriminatory housing practice that is about to occur, may file a complaint with the attorney general. The civil rights section may also file a complaint on behalf of any person. On receipt of the complaint, the attorney general shall:

(1) Give the aggrieved person notice that the complaint has been filed and advise the aggrieved person of the time limits and choice of forums under this Chapter.

(2) Not later than ten days after the filing of the complaint, serve the respondent a notice identifying the alleged discriminatory housing practice and advising the respondent of the procedural rights and obligations of a respondent under this Chapter, together with a copy of the original complaint.

B. A complaint pursuant to Subsection A of this Section shall be filed not later than one year after the alleged discriminatory housing practice occurs. A complaint shall be in writing and shall state the facts on which the allegations of a discriminatory housing practice are based. The complaint shall contain any other information and be in the form that the attorney general requires. The complaint may be reasonably and fairly amended at any time. A respondent may file an answer to the complaint against him not later than the tenth day after receipt of the notice and copy pursuant to Paragraph A(2) and, with the consent of the attorney general, which shall be granted if it would be reasonable and fair to do so, may amend his answer at any time. The attorney general may require both complaints and answers to be verified.

C.(1) Within ten days after the receipt of the respondent's answer or, if no answer is filed within the time prescribed in Subsection B, within five days after the expiration of such time, the attorney general, or a certified agency, if the complaint has been referred pursuant to this Subsection, must refer the complaint to a mediation panel under this Subsection. If the parties agree to a settlement through mediation, and the mediated settlement is in writing and signed by both parties, the attorney general shall dismiss the complaint, if the attorney general approves the agreement and finds it to be in the public interest.

(2) If the complaint has not been resolved through mediation within thirty days after referral to the mediation panel, it must be returned to the attorney general or certified agency for investigation, which shall commence immediately. If the complaint is returned to the attorney general, he shall investigate the complaint and may proceed to try to eliminate or correct the alleged discriminatory housing practice by informal methods of conference, conciliation, and mediation. If the attorney general determines after investigation that there is not reasonable cause to believe that the complaint is true, he shall enter an order dismissing the complaint and shall notify the complainant and the respondent of his action. If the attorney general determines after investigation that there is reasonable cause to believe that the complaint is true, he shall enter an order containing his findings of fact and shall endeavor to eliminate the alleged unlawful housing practice by informal methods of conference, conciliation, and persuasion.

(3) Nothing said or done in the course of these informal endeavors may be made public, provided that if a civil action resulting from a complaint is commenced in any federal or state court, evidence collected by or submitted to the attorney general during investigation of the complaint and the source of the evidence are discoverable by the parties to the civil action in accordance with applicable rules of evidence, procedure, and discovery.

D.(1) If a complaint alleges a discriminatory housing practice within the jurisdiction of a local public agency which has been certified by the attorney general under this Subsection, and the local public agency has entered into an intergovernmental agreement pursuant to R.S. 51:2610(D)(4), the attorney general may refer the complaint to that certified agency before taking any action with respect to the complaint. The attorney general shall take no further action with respect to the complaint unless the certified agency has not acted in a timely fashion after the date the complaint was received or unless the attorney general determines that the certified agency no longer qualifies for certification under this Subsection under the circumstance of a particular case, or the rights of the parties or interest of justice requires this action.

(2) In order to determine that the substantive rights protected by the agency, the procedures followed by the agency, the remedies available to the agency, and the availability of judicial review of the agency's action are substantially equivalent to those established by this Chapter and qualify the agency for this certification, the attorney general shall take into account the current practices and past performance, if any, of the agency.

E. All conciliation agreements shall provide that the complainant waives, releases, and covenants not to sue the respondent or claim against the respondent in any forum with respect to the matters which were alleged as complaints filed with the attorney general, subject to performance by the respondent of the promises and representations contained in the conciliation agreement. All conciliation agreements shall be in writing and agreed to by the complainant, the respondent, and the attorney general or his designee.

F. The attorney general shall complete the investigation of an alleged discriminatory housing practice within one hundred days after the filing of the complaint or, when the attorney general takes further action pursuant to Subsection D, within one hundred days after the commencement of such further action, unless it is impracticable to do so.

G. If the attorney general is unable to complete the investigation within the time period set forth in Subsection F, the attorney general shall notify the parties in writing of the reasons for not doing so.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 569, §1.

§ 51:2612 Right to examine and copy evidence; summoning witnesses and documents and taking testimony; right to counsel; court aid; process; service and return; fees of witnesses

A. In conducting an investigation, the section or its duly authorized employees shall have access at all reasonable times to premises, records, documents, individuals, and other evidence or possible sources of evidence and may examine, record, and copy such materials and take and record the testimony or statements of such persons as are reasonably necessary for the furtherance of the investigation. The section may issue interrogatories to a respondent to the same extent and subject to the same limitations as would apply if the interrogatories were issued or served in aid of a civil action in the state district courts for the district in which the investigation is taking place.

B. The section, on its own initiative, or on application of any party to the proceeding, may issue subpoenas compelling the attendance and testimony of witnesses or requiring the production of documents for examination or copying. Within five days after the service of a subpoena on any person, the person may petition the section to revoke, limit, or modify the subpoena. The section shall revoke, limit, or modify the subpoena if in its opinion the evidence required does not relate to unlawful practices covered by this Chapter, is not relevant to the complaint which is the subject matter of the investigation, does not describe with sufficient particularity the evidence that is subpoenaed, is unduly burdensome or oppressive, or for other good reason. Any member of the section or any agent designated by the section may administer oaths or affirmations, examine witnesses, and receive the evidence.

C. Witnesses summoned by subpoena of the section shall be entitled to the same witness and mileage fees as are witnesses in proceedings in state district courts. Fees payable to a witness summoned by a subpoena issued at the request of a party shall be paid by that party.

D. In case of contumacy or refusal to obey a subpoena, the section or other person at whose request it was issued may petition for its enforcement in the state district court for the district in which the person to whom the subpoena was addressed resides, was served, or transacts business.

E. Any person appearing before the section may be represented by counsel.

F. The district court, on application by the section or by the person subpoenaed, has jurisdiction to issue an order revoking, limiting, or modifying the subpoena or conditioning issuance of the subpoena on payment of costs or expenses incurred to comply with the subpoena, if in the court's opinion the evidence required does not relate to unlawful practices covered by this Chapter, is not relevant to the complaint which is the subject matter of the investigation, does not describe with sufficient particularity the evidence that is subpoenaed, is unduly burdensome or oppressive, or for other good reason.

G. Complaints, orders, and other process and papers of the section or the agent of the section may be served either personally or by certified mail or by commercial courier as defined in R.S. 13:3204(D), when the person to be served is located outside of this state. The verified return by the individual serving the complaints, orders, process, or papers, setting forth the manner of the service, is proof of service. The return post office receipt, if certified and mailed as provided in this Subsection, is proof of service.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 569, §1; Acts 1999, No. 395, §6.

§ 51:2613 Enforcement by private persons

A. If no complaint has been filed with the attorney general pursuant to R.S. 51:2611, an aggrieved person may commence a civil action for enforcement of the rights granted pursuant to this Chapter in an appropriate state court of general jurisdiction within two years after the alleged discriminatory housing practice occurred.

B. An action to obtain relief arising from a breach of conciliation agreement entered into pursuant to this Chapter may be commenced in an appropriate state court of general jurisdiction within one year after the alleged breach.

C. If a complaint filed with the attorney general pursuant to R.S. 51:2611 is dismissed by the attorney general, or if within the time period set forth in R.S. 51:2611(F) the attorney general has not:

(1) Filed a civil action under R.S. 51:2614,

(2) Entered into a conciliation agreement with the complainant and respondent,

the attorney general shall notify the complainant or the party on whose behalf the complaint was filed. In no event, including the failure of the attorney general to issue the notification required herein, shall any action be brought pursuant to this Chapter more than two years after the alleged discriminatory housing practice occurred. On timely application, the court, in its discretion, may permit the attorney general to intervene in civil actions in which this state is not a defendant on certification that the case is of general public importance. On request, the court, in its discretion, may stay further proceedings for not more than sixty days pending the further efforts of the parties or the attorney general to obtain voluntary compliance.

D. Upon application by the plaintiff and in such circumstances as the court may deem just, a district court in which a civil action under this Section has been brought may appoint an attorney for the plaintiff and may authorize the commencement of a civil action upon proper showing without the payment of fees, costs, or security, to the extent not inconsistent with the law or procedures of this state.

E. The court may grant as relief, as it deems appropriate, any permanent or temporary injunction, temporary restraining order, or other order and may award to a prevailing plaintiff actual damages and punitive damages, together with court costs and reasonable attorney fees.

F. Any sale, encumbrance, or rental consummated prior to the issuance of any court order issued pursuant to the authority provided in this Chapter and involving a bona fide purchaser, encumbrancer, or tenant without actual notice of the existence of the filing of a complaint or civil action under the provisions of this Chapter shall not be affected.

G. Nothing in this Chapter shall impair any right to sue or cause of action arising under 42 United States Code, Sections 3610, 3612, and 3613, except, if applicable, on agreement between the parties.

H. If a party elects to proceed on a claim in a federal court, he shall be precluded from filing the same claim in an appropriate court of this state.

I. The court may grant as relief, as it deems appropriate, court costs and reasonable attorney fees to a prevailing defendant, consistent with federal civil rights statutes.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 569, §1; Acts 1999, No. 687, §1.

§ 51:2614 Enforcement by attorney general

A. If, after investigation of a complaint filed pursuant to R.S. 51:2611, the attorney general finds reasonable cause to believe that any person or group of persons is engaged in resistance to the full enjoyment of any of the rights granted pursuant to this Chapter or that any person or group of persons has been denied any of the rights granted pursuant to this Chapter, and the complainant, the respondent, and the attorney general have not entered into a conciliation agreement, he shall bring a civil action in any appropriate state district court requesting relief, including an application for a permanent or temporary injunction, restraining order, or other order against the person or persons responsible for the resistance or denial of rights.

B. In any civil action pursuant to Subsection A of this Section, the court may grant as relief, as it deems appropriate, any permanent or temporary injunction, temporary restraining order, or other order and may award actual damages and punitive damages to any person found to have been denied any of the rights granted pursuant to this Chapter.

C. If the attorney general concludes at any time following the filing of a complaint that a discriminatory housing practice has occurred or is about to occur, he shall promptly commence and maintain a civil action for appropriate temporary or preliminary relief pending final disposition of the complaint.

History: Acts 1991, No. 527, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 569, §1.

Source. Reproduced from the official text of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, the Louisiana Equal Housing Opportunity Act (La. R.S. 51:2601 to 51:2614), as published by the Louisiana State Legislature and including enactments through the 2025 Regular Session. General information, not legal advice; the statutes are amended every session, so confirm the current text against the official source.

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