NAR Success Stories - NOMAR Minimizes the Impact of New Rental Regulations

Louisiana Realtors® • March 30, 2023

With a Land Use Initiative and Advocacy Everywhere, New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors® Minimize Impact of New Rental Regulations

Faced with the prospect of two restrictive new rental regulations, the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® (NOMAR) first tried to reason with the City Council. When that failed, they turned to the REALTOR® Party for assistance: a Land Use Initiative analysis and a Call For Action convinced the lawmakers, through legal reasoning and powerful public persuasion, to pass a mitigated version of the regulations that the REALTORS® found acceptable.


Kelli Walker Starrett, NOMAR’s CEO, explains that the association has been opposing rent registration ordinances for years. In 2016, they challenged a similar proposal by asking questions raised by a REALTOR® Party Land Use Initiative, which the Council couldn’t answer – so the ordinance was shelved. When the issue resurfaced in 2022, a tenant advocacy group whose tactics rely on sensationalized media attention had pushed the Council to instate two fee-based ordinances, a rental registration and a mandatory inspection ordinance called ‘Healthy Homes.’ Says Starrett, “They painted the New Orleans rental industry as being in the midst of an epidemic of squalor, but that’s just not the reality. Still, the Council largely bought into it, some of them only because they didn’t want to be on the record opposing rental improvement; meanwhile, our new Mayor had been the Councilmember who’d pressed for rental ordinances all those years ago. The fact is,” she continues, “regulations like these have been imposed in cities across the country, and we have yet to see positive results from them anywhere.”


NOMAR tapped into the Land Use Initiative resource offered by the REALTOR® Party, and the analysis that came back was plenty strong, referring to various aspects of the draft ordinance as “arbitrary,” “nonsensical,” and possibly “vulnerable to challenge under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” Armed with this report, the REALTORS® used Advocacy Everywhere to put out both a member- and public-facing Call For Action, explaining that the proposed regulations would exacerbate the City’s affordable housing shortage and would not have the desired outcome of holding slumlords accountable. In an amusing twist, reports Starrett, “A City Councilmember who couldn’t openly oppose the rental regulations, but who’d seen a CFA in action before, called and advised us to launch one, even knowing the consequences would undoubtedly affect the Council, himself included. The Councilmember stated, ‘I know you have the tools in your toolbelt; use them!’ And we did!” The membership’s response was strong and swift.


In the meantime, Starrett harnessed the expertise of the many NOMAR members involved in the rental market, convening several ‘stakeholder groups’ of seasoned property managers who helped craft compromises to minimize the effects of the proposed requirements. At the end of the day, the City Council adopted a no-cost registration and inspections only when a property is reported as having a suspected violation. “Our CFA had enough of an impact that the Council heavily watered down the original ordinance so that it really isn’t effective at all and will be a very minimal burden on property owners,” says Starrett. “We’re grateful for the support from the REALTOR® Party that helped us achieve this much.”


View the full article HERE.

Louisiana Candidates Qualify for November 3 Election

By Louisiana REALTORS® • August 5, 2026
 Candidate qualifying for Louisiana’s November 3 election began Wednesday, August 5, and concludes Friday, August 7. The three-day qualifying period will establish the candidates for all six U.S. House districts, as well as judicial, parish and municipal races across the state. This election cycle includes several changes to Louisiana’s congressional races and election calendar. The state’s U.S. House primaries, originally scheduled for May 16, were canceled following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The Louisiana Legislature subsequently adopted a new congressional map that reduced the number of Black-majority congressional districts from two to one. Under the revised election calendar, the November 3 U.S. House contests will use an open primary system. All qualified candidates will appear on the November ballot, regardless of party affiliation. A candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote will be elected. If no candidate receives a majority, the two candidates receiving the most votes will advance to a December 12 runoff. U.S. Senate The November general election will feature Republican nominee U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and Democratic nominee Jamie Davis. Letlow's Senate campaign has also created an open seat in Louisiana's 5th Congressional District. 5th Congressional District Several candidates have announced campaigns for the 5th Congressional District seat: State Sen. Stewart Cathey State Rep. Michael Echols Louisiana Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell State Rep. Gabe Firment Cathey, Echols and Firment currently serve in the Louisiana Legislature. Additional candidates may qualify before the deadline on Friday. The 5th District covers portions of northeastern and central Louisiana and extends into the Florida Parishes. 6th Congressional District Congressman Cleo Fields has announced that he will not seek reelection in the newly redrawn 6th Congressional District. Instead, Fields is running in a special election for his former state Senate seat, which became vacant following the death of Sen. Larry Selders of Baton Rouge. The newly drawn 6th Congressional District extends around the Baton Rouge area and includes portions of rural communities surrounding the capital region. State Sen. Rick Edmonds has announced his candidacy. State Sen. Blake Miguez has also been discussed as a potential candidate, although the candidate field will not be finalized until qualifying closes Friday. Federal law requires congressional candidates to reside in the state they seek to represent but does not require them to reside within the specific congressional district. 2nd Congressional District Congressman Troy Carter currently represents the 2nd Congressional District, which extends from the Baton Rouge area toward New Orleans. Under the newly adopted congressional map, the 2nd District remains Louisiana's sole Black-majority congressional district. East Baton Rouge Parish Judiciary All 15 judgeships on the 19th Judicial District Court are scheduled for election following the Legislature's creation of two new judicial election subdistricts. Each subdistrict will elect seven judges, with an additional judgeship elected parishwide. Litigation challenging the new judicial map remains pending. Judicial races are among the contests being monitored by Louisiana REALTORS® and local Political Action Teams. Judicial decisions can have implications for property rights, business activity, litigation and the overall legal environment in Louisiana. Local Elections Voters across Louisiana will also consider candidates for mayors, city and parish councils, school boards, police chiefs and other local offices. While these races typically receive less statewide attention than congressional and statewide contests, local elected officials make decisions affecting land use, zoning, permitting, infrastructure, taxation and housing policy. These issues can directly affect real estate activity and development within local communities. Candidate Lists and Election Information The candidate field will not be final until qualifying closes Friday, August 7. The official list of qualified candidates is available through the Louisiana Secretary of State's Candidate Inquiry portal. The complete election schedule, including key dates for voting, registration and absentee ballots, is available through the Secretary of State's election calendar. For Louisiana REALTORS®, the qualifying period provides an early look at the candidates who will appear on the November ballot and the races that may affect real estate, property rights, development and local communities across the state.

Now Accepting: 2027 At-Large Board of Directors Applications

By Louisiana REALTORS® • August 5, 2026
The Louisiana REALTORS® Board of Directors will elect six (6) LR At-Large Directors at its October 1st meeting. Qualifications and an application for the position can be found below.

Louisiana Department of Insurance Commends Districts Receiving Fire Rate Reductions in First Half of 2026

By Louisiana REALTORS® • August 5, 2026
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple recognizes fire districts that have received improved fire ratings since last year. Improved fire ratings lead to reduced fire insurance premiums for property owners in the associated area. “Improved fire protection ratings demonstrate the hard work and dedication of fire departments and community leaders. These improvements make homes and communities safer and can reduce fire insurance premiums,” Commissioner Temple said. “Some premium reductions are more than others, but any improvement to the safety and resilience of our communities is a win for everyone.” Fire protection grading is promulgated by the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana (PIAL) and approved by the Commissioner of Insurance. All fire districts are graded on a scale of 1 to 10 by PIAL, with 10 representing no fire protection and 1 representing the best level of protection. The PIAL considers several factors when determining a district’s grading, including the number of dispatchers on duty, the number of firefighters and fire trucks and the availability of water. “I’m extremely proud of the Louisiana Fire Service,” said Department of Public Safety Principal Assistant Chief Bryan J Adams. “They continue to step up, work hard and deliver exceptional service to protect our community. As we partner with them through training and the enrollment support they need to succeed, you can expect continued results like this. Our office is committed to staying at the forefront of collaboration with the Louisiana Fire Service—because we’re truly One Team.” Policyholders in the affected areas should contact their insurance producer if they have questions about how fire rating improvements may affect their fire insurance premiums.  The average annual premium reduction examples below are calculated for a brick masonry home with an HO-3 policy insured for $250,000, with a $500 deductible.
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