🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Lafayette, LA
Banished from the Bayou: Lafayette’s STR Crackdown Spurs Lawsuit
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Banished from the Bayou: Lafayette’s STR Crackdown Spurs Lawsuit
Short-term rental owners in Lafayette are feeling the aftershocks of a hard-hitting ban that took effect in October 2024—and for some, like Michael DeSelle, it’s personal.
DeSelle had been running a successful STR through his company, StellaRising LLC, but the rug was pulled out from under him when the Lafayette Consolidated Government banned all rentals under 30 days in residential areas. His Saints Joseph Street property went from making $6,000 a month to half that overnight.
Thinking he’d be grandfathered in, DeSelle held out hope. But once the ordinance kicked in, he had to pivot to long-term renting—a move that couldn’t recoup his $90,000 investment in renovations. Now, he and his wife are selling the home.
But they’re not going quietly. Along with another local STR owner, DeSelle has filed a federal lawsuit against the city. Their argument? The ordinance violates their constitutional property rights and discriminates against STR owners.
“We’re being treated differently than long-term landlords or people running other businesses from home,” DeSelle says. “It’s just not fair.”
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City leaders disagree. Councilman Andy Naquin, representing the Saints Street area, has long supported the ban saying it protects the fabric of residential neighborhoods. Supporters of the law argue that full-time residents build community.
The lawsuit mirrors other legal skirmishes popping up across the country. In New Orleans, after back-and-forth rulings, courts ultimately upheld a revised STR policy earlier this year. Dallas, meanwhile, saw its ban ruled unconstitutional by the state appeals court.
Now, Lafayette is bracing for its own courtroom showdown. Airbnb is even backing DeSelle with legal advice, upping the ante for what could become a major case in Louisiana’s STR saga.
As of today, LCG has yet to be served, and officials declined to comment.
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