Renting out a property in The Bayou State begins with your Louisiana rental application, which helps you find, qualify, and select your next tenant. A free application template or online landlord toolkit is a smart way to stay organized, efficient, and legally compliant — from start to finish.
Let’s take a closer look at the Louisiana rental application process. Here’s a helpful guide to rental application laws, denial processes, tenant screening, and pro tips. Let’s get started!
Information to Collect
Landlords use a Louisiana rental application to gather the following renter information:
- Names of applicants/co-applicants/co-signers
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Email and phone number
- Rental, employment, and income history
- Current and past addresses
- Pets
- Vehicles
- References
- Smoking status
- Emergency contact
Rental application forms ask renters to provide private personal information. Due to the sensitive nature of specific application details, there are federal and state laws regulating:
- The information landlords can collect
- The types of questions landlords can ask
- The way landlords use applications when selecting a tenant
We’ll discuss these Louisiana rental application laws in detail, but first, let’s quickly cover tenant screening.
Quick Guide to Screening a Tenant
No two rental applications are the same, but that doesn’t mean you can’t standardize your screening process. Follow these steps for responsible and legally compliant tenant screening:
1. Pre-Screen
We recommend starting the application process with a pre-screener. Landlords use a pre-screener to identify qualified renters before they officially apply, which saves time during the application review process.
Pre-screeners ask for:
- Basic contact information
- Employment, income, and credit details
- Move-in timeline
- Household size, pets, service animals, and smoking status
Using a pre-screener to vet leads once they find your online listing is a great way to cut through the noise. However, every renter must fill out and submit an online rental application form.
2. Conduct Showings
As you begin generating interest for your listing, show the rental to allow renters to view the property in person.
3. Distribute and Collect Applications
Provide renters with your Louisiana rental application form and collect it after they have filled it out. As a best practice, always ensure the applicant has completed the consent and acknowledgment section. Don’t forget to check for the rental application fee.
Louisiana Application Laws
Since landlord-tenant rights and rental application laws aren’t the same in every state, here’s a refresher of what these legal guidelines look like in Louisiana.
The Louisiana Equal Housing Opportunity Act prohibits landlords from considering an applicant’s:
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- Sex
- Disability
- Familial status
- National origin
- Natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle (La. RS 51:2602)
However, landlords can consider a renter’s criminal and eviction history.
Portable tenant screening reports: Louisiana law doesn’t require landlords to accept portable tenant screening reports, but it does permit landlords to use them.
Pets, ESAs, and Service Animals
Your Louisiana rental application should include a section asking about pets, service animals, and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs).
Landlords can’t discriminate against renters with an ESA or service animal, but they can hold tenants responsible for any property damage caused by their animal.
Pet information: Include application questions asking about pets, ESAs, and service animals. Request the animal’s name, weight, proof of service status, and vaccination details.
Fair Housing Act: The FHA prohibits landlords from:
- Discriminating against applicants based on their ESA or service animal
- Charging any kind of pet deposit, pet rent, or pet fee for ESAs or service animals
- Denying an applicant due to their ESA/service animal’s size, weight, or breed
Federal Application Laws
These four laws apply to every Louisiana rental application. Here’s a quick overview:
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA): Landlords need renter consent to conduct credit checks, and they must inform renters that they deny based on credit history (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA): The ECOA is an anti-discrimination law protecting renters who have received public assistance. It also regulates how landlords evaluate credit reports and outlines reporting guidelines for applicants (Equal Credit Opportunity Act).
Fair Housing Act (FHA): Landlords/property managers/employees who select tenants can’t ask questions about or deny housing based on:
- Race
- Color
- National origin
- Religion
- Sex
- Familial status
- Disability
The FHA also prohibits discriminatory advertising and unequal renting terms (Fair Housing Act).
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Landlords can’t discriminate against or deny applicants because of a disability, and they must accommodate the renter’s condition (Americans with Disabilities Act).
4. Use a Third-Party Screening Service
Simplify tenant screening by using an online service like TurboTenant to perform all credit and criminal background checks.
5. Check Application References
Reach out to the applicant’s references, asking the renter’s past landlords/employers these sample questions:
- Did this tenant ever miss rent? How much were they paying?
- Did the tenant take good care of the house/apartment?
- Did the tenant ever violate any lease terms?
- Would you consider renting to this tenant again?
6. Approve or Deny Applications
When selecting tenants, accepting multiple applications on a first-come, first-served basis is the best approach to take. Here’s what you should consider when making a decision:
- Rental history: If there’s less than one year of strong rental history provided, ask the applicant to provide a co-signer.
- Rent-to-income ratio: When your listing’s monthly rent is above 30% of the applicant’s gross income, it increases the risk of late payments and rent default.
- Credit score: We recommend setting a minimum credit score requirement of 600–670.
- Fact-check rental applications: If a renter submits an application with false answers, a landlord has good reason to reject them.
Denial Process
It’s the landlord’s responsibility to handle denials consistently and legally across all applicants. Landlords can deny a Louisiana rental application based on:
- Adverse rental history
- Poor credit
- Insufficient income
- Criminal background
- Incomplete/false information
Denial notice: Louisiana landlords are not required to send out tenant rejection letters.
Credit/background denials: When you deny a renter based on a credit or tenant background check, the FCRA requires you to send them an adverse action notice, including:
- The reporting agency’s name/contact details
- The renter’s right to dispute errors
Document storage: Keep denied applications and screening reports for your records. Since landlords can use these files to defend against claims of discrimination, you should store them for at least two years.
Avoiding Fraud
Here are four expert-recommended ways landlords can avoid Louisiana rental application fraud:
- Watching out for red flags
- Verifying the applicant’s identity, documents, employment, and income
- Running credit, background, and eviction checks
- Speaking to rental references
