Effective Date: November 1, 2025
Jurisdiction: State of Louisiana
Applies To: All landlords, property managers, agents and listing entities using the Tentunit platform to list residential rental properties (including student-oriented, young-professional, and family housing) in Louisiana.
1. Purpose
This Statement defines the operational, legal, and ethical obligations that landlords must meet when listing properties via Tentunit in Louisiana. Use of the Tentunit platform constitutes the landlord’s agreement to this Statement, the Tentunit Terms of Service, Payment Terms, Fair Housing & Equal Access Policy, and all applicable federal, state and local laws. This is not legal advice; landlords should consult qualified counsel for full compliance.
2. Listing Accuracy, Transparency & Advertising Standards
Landlords must ensure every listing is truthful, current, and accurately reflects the unit and terms offered.
Required Disclosures
Each listing must clearly disclose:
- Monthly rent amount, lease term (start/end or renewal/notice terms) and earliest availability date.
- All one-time and recurring fees: application/processing fees, move-in/administrative fees, parking/amenity fees, pet fees or deposits, utility allocation or sub-metering charges.
- Security deposit amount (or fee in-lieu if accepted) with full description of return, deduction conditions, and timeframe.
- Utility responsibilities: which utilities tenant pays vs landlord; method of sub-metering/allocation if used.
- Unit condition and amenities: Photos must represent the actual unit offered, not model units unless clearly disclosed as such.
- Screening criteria: Income threshold, credit/eviction history standard, guarantor/co-signer policy, student-housing relevant criteria if any.
- True availability: The unit must genuinely be available; if no longer available, listing must be updated or removed promptly.
Prohibited Practices
- Advertising units that are not truly available or failing to update availability status.
- Misrepresenting unit size/beds/baths, condition, finishes, amenities or view.
- Using “starting at” or “from” pricing without clear disclosure of eligibility, timing and unit availability.
- Omitting required fees or hidden costs so that a reasonable renter is misled.
- Bait-and-switch: Advertising one unit/terms and offering materially different without disclosure.
State-Specific Note
Louisiana law under the Lessee’s Deposit Act, La. R.S. § 9:3251 et seq., governs security deposits and return timelines.
Also, fair housing obligations under federal law apply statewide.
3. Fair Housing & Equal Access
Landlords must comply with the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.) and any applicable Louisiana law/local non-discrimination regulations.
Landlords must:
- Apply neutral, consistent screening criteria to all applicants regardless of protected class (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, familial status).
- Provide required reasonable accommodations/modifications for persons with disabilities under applicable law.
- Avoid discriminatory statements in ads, screening, communications or leasing decisions.
- Maintain documentation of screening criteria and decisions for audit or compliance.
4. Communication Standards & Platform Responsiveness
Given Tentunit’s focus on student/young-professional rentals, landlords must ensure timely, documented communication:
- Acknowledge listing inquiries, application submissions, and maintenance/repair requests via Tentunit (or another documented channel) within 24 hours, and provide substantive follow-up within 48 hours.
- Keep applicants informed of application status and tenants informed of scheduled entries, inspections, repairs or changes in terms/policies.
- Update listings promptly when terms, availability, fees or policies change.
- Maintain professional, courteous, non-discriminatory communications. Repeated failures or abusive conduct may result in listing suspension or account termination by Tentunit.
5. Lease Execution, Legal Compliance & Contract Terms
All leases executed via Tentunit for Louisiana properties must comply with applicable state law and reflect best-practice standards.
Required Lease Elements
- Lease must be in writing or electronically documented and executed via the Tentunit process or equivalent.
- Must include landlord/agent full legal name and address for notices/service of process.
- Must clearly specify: rent amount, payment schedule, lease term (fixed or periodic), renewal/termination mechanics; security deposit amount and handling; all recurring and one-time fees; utility responsibilities; screening criteria; student-oriented terms (subletting, roommate obligations, early termination) if applicable.
- Must include required disclosures: e.g., federal lead-based paint hazard disclosure (for units built before 1978).
- Lease must not contain unlawful self-help eviction clauses (lock-outs, utility shut-off) or waiver of tenant statutory rights.
- Termination/notice provisions must comply with Louisiana law (see La. Civ. Code Art. 2728 for month-to-month termination, etc.).
6. Habitability, Maintenance & Repair Obligations
Landlords must deliver and maintain rental premises in a safe, clean, habitable condition consistent with Louisiana law and good practice.
Key landlord obligations include:
- Maintain structural components: roof, walls, floors, windows/doors, stairways/porches, handrails in safe condition.
- Provide and maintain functioning utilities: plumbing, electrical, safe locks/egress, sanitation, heating (if lease provides or local code requires).
- Respond promptly to repair/maintenance requests materially affecting health or safety; although Louisiana does not prescribe a strict statewide repair timeframe for all conditions, best practice is timely acknowledgement and remedy.
- Document all maintenance requests, repair work orders, completion, tenant notifications, and if applicable, before/after photos.
- Prohibit retaliation: Landlord must not raise rent, reduce services, or evict a tenant for exercising legal rights (repair requests, deposit claims, etc.).
7. Entry, Inspections & Tenant Privacy
Landlords must respect the tenant’s right to quiet enjoyment of the leased premises while providing legitimate access as permitted by law and best practice.
- Louisiana law does not specify a statewide uniform notice period for non-emergency entry. Industry best practice (and Tentunit expectation) is at least 24-hours’ written notice for non-emergency entries, during reasonable hours (e.g., 8 a.m.–8 p.m.).
- Entry is allowed for legitimate purposes: repairs, inspections, showing unit to prospective tenants/purchasers, agreed improvements.
- Landlord should document: notice of entry (date/time), actual entry (date/time), purpose, who was present, condition found, photos if applicable.
- Offer tenant a move-out inspection walk-through and document condition via checklist/photos to facilitate security deposit reconciliation.
8. Security Deposit Handling & Administration
Louisiana law under R.S. 9:3251 et seq. governs security deposits.
Key Rules
- Timing of return: Within one month after lease termination, the landlord must return the deposit or send an itemized statement of deductions.
- Uses of deposit: Landlord may retain deposit or portion thereof only to remedy a tenant default or damage beyond normal wear & tear. § 9:3251(A).
- Transfer of interest: If the landlord transfers interest in property during the lease term, landlord must transfer the deposit to the successor and provide notice; successor becomes responsible for refund. § 9:3251(B).
- Penalties for willful non-compliance: If landlord willfully fails to return and/or provide the itemized statement or refuses refund without cause, tenant may recover the deposit plus $300 or twice the wrongfully retained amount, whichever is greater. § 9:3252.
- Amount of deposit cap: Some sources suggest there is no statutory limit on deposit amount in Louisiana.
Tentunit Requirements for Landlords
- Use signed move-in condition checklist, with date-stamped photographs and tenant acknowledgement.
- Clearly disclose in listing and lease: deposit amount, conditions for deductions, timeframe for return, forwarding-address requirement.
- Maintain ledger of deposit collection, itemised deductions, refund date, and tenant forwarding address documentation.
- Ensure deposit is processed in compliance: refund or itemised statement within 30 days of lease termination (or more precisely “one month”).
- Avoid labelling any portion of deposit as “non-refundable deposit” unless lawful and clearly disclosed.
- On property ownership transfer during tenancy: ensure deposit is transferred to new owner and tenant notified.
9. Student-Housing & Young-Professional Specific Standards
Because Tentunit is oriented toward the student/young-professional rental market, landlords must adopt additional standards:
- In listings clearly disclose: campus/university proximity, transport/parking policy/costs, sub-letting or early-release policy, lease renewal or non-renewal policy.
- Provide digital onboarding materials suited for younger renters: move-in guide, campus orientation, utilities setup instructions, emergency contacts, roommate/shared-housing rules if applicable.
- Avoid predatory practices specifically targeting students/young professionals (excessive non-refundable fees, misleading claims, forced guarantor demand without alternative).
- Maintain communication channels appropriate for younger demographic: mobile/app messaging, after-hours support, clear roommate/house-rule expectations.
- Ensure house rules, cleaning schedules, noise/guest policies and roommate obligations are clearly disclosed, aligned with statutory rights and consistently enforced.
10. Documentation, Audit, Compliance & Platform Enforcement
Landlords must maintain full documentation and operate at institutional-compliance level; Tentunit retains strong enforcement rights.
Record-Keeping Requirements
Landlords must maintain, for each unit/tenancy:
- Listing metadata: upload date, photo version history, fee schedule changes, availability changes.
- Applicant/screening logs: inquiry date/time, criteria applied, applications received, approvals/denials, communications.
- Executed lease file: signed lease (digital/paper), amendments/renewals, disclosures, tenant/guarantor documentation if applicable.
- Maintenance/repair logs: request date/time, vendor/work order, completion date/time, tenant notifications, before/after photographs.
- Entry/inspection logs: notice sent date/time, date/time of entry, purpose, attendee(s), condition found, photographs.
- Security deposit records: deposit amount collected, date, forwarding address documentation, itemized deductions list, refund date/proof of receipt.
- Communication logs: Tenant-landlord messages via Tentunit portal or documented alternative: listing inquiries, application status updates, maintenance scheduling, entry or inspection notices, lease renewal/termination communications.
Enforcement Rights of Tentunit
Tentunit may:
- Audit landlord compliance (listing practices, lease documentation, maintenance/entry logs, deposit handling) at any time without prior notice.
- Suspend or remove listings for material or repeated non-compliance with this Statement, Tentunit policies or Louisiana/federal law.
- Freeze or withhold landlord payouts tied to units flagged for unresolved compliance issues (e.g., deposit disputes, habitability complaints).
- Terminate landlord’s platform account permanently for serious or repeated violations.
- Report non-compliance or unlawful conduct to regulatory agencies (e.g., Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center) as appropriate.
- Seek recovery of damages, attorney’s fees and platform enforcement costs caused by landlord non-compliance.
11. Indemnification
Landlord agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Tentunit, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents and contractors from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs (including attorneys’ fees) arising out of or in connection with:
- Landlord’s breach of this Statement or any Tentunit policy.
- Landlord’s violation of federal, state or local housing/tenant-landlord laws/regulations.
- Landlord’s mis-representation of the listing, unit condition, availability, terms or fees.
- Tenant claims or disputes arising from landlord’s acts or omissions.
- Platform investigations or regulatory enforcement triggered by landlord non-compliance.
12. Governing Law & Reference Statutes
Louisiana Statutes & Reference Materials
- La. R.S. § 9:3251 – Lessee’s Deposit to Secure Lease; Retention by Lessor; Itemized Statement required within one month. legis.la.gov+1
- La. R.S. § 9:3252 – Failure of Lessor to Comply; Tenant’s right to recover deposit + penalties. legis.la.gov+1
- General deposit information guides: “General Information About Louisiana’s Security Deposit Refund Law” by Louisiana Legal Services. lasc.libguides.com
- “Louisiana Landlord-Tenant Rental Laws & Rights for 2025” overview. DoorLoop+1
Federal Foundations
- Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.)
- Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (for dwellings built prior to 1978)
- Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) for eligible tenants