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

§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.

Legislative 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.