🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Louisiana

A Deep Dive into Your Area’s STR Updates—Helping You Navigate the Ever-Changing Rental Landscape.

State Moves In Where Cities Struggle: STR Regulation Goes Statewide

Short-term rentals have transformed travel—and increasingly, transformed neighborhoods across Louisiana. But with change has come conflict, and now state legislators are stepping in where local governments have struggled to keep pace.

Three new bills are on the table this year, each tackling short-term rentals from a different angle.

The first, House Bill 469, seeks to formally empower Louisiana cities and parishes to regulate STRs. Proposed by Rep. Barbara Carpenter of Baton Rouge, the bill outlines what local rules might look like—covering permitting, safety codes, and zoning. Carpenter says her own constituents are dealing with party houses and disappearing long-term rentals turning what was once a New Orleans-only issue into a statewide concern.

The pressure on local governments has been growing. New Orleans, for example, has fought for years to contain its short-term rental boom through local ordinances focusing mainly on residential neighborhoods. But enforcement has been patchy largely due to staffing shortages and ongoing legal pushback from STR operators and platforms like Airbnb. The result? Thousands of illegal listings remain active, even as licensed rentals number just 2,600.

Enter SB 225, from Sen. Royce Duplessis of New Orleans. His bill would ban all unlicensed STRs across Louisiana—even in towns that don’t yet regulate them—and grant enforcement rights to neighbors and nonprofits. It’s an aggressive step that could shift power into the hands of communities. Duplessis says the bill needs fine-tuning to avoid abuse but sees it as a necessary tool in the absence of strong local enforcement.

Also in play is a revenue-focused proposal from Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, which would raise the maximum occupancy tax on short-term rentals in New Orleans from 6.75% to 10%. That’s a significant increase on the $15.5 million already brought in through occupancy taxes in 2024. With more funding, cities could potentially strengthen enforcement or invest in housing solutions to balance out tourism’s impact.

Housing advocates like Angela Owczarek view the legislative attention as bittersweet.

“It’s telling that it’s taken the state getting involved to make real movement,” she said.

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