Investor-friendly real estate agents in New Orleans, LA
We match investors with vetted New Orleans-area agents who own rentals, run the numbers, and know the local rules. Free for investors.
Get matched in New OrleansVetted investor agents across the New Orleans metro
New Orleans has some of the best rent-to-price numbers of any big Southern metro, and some of the biggest risks. Typical home values across the New Orleans-Metairie metro are about $257,000, still about 12% below the 2022 peak, and typical rent is about $1,580, which works out to about 0.61% a month. The catch is the trend and the costs. The metro has lost people every year since 2020, more Americans move out than in, and jobs are still below 2019. Insurance and flood risk can wipe out the rent advantage, and the city has some of the strictest short-term rental rules in the country: whole-home investor STRs aren't allowed in residential neighborhoods. Louisiana's lease law comes from its civil code and differs from other states. Our vetted agent partner is based in New Orleans.
Investor purchases in New Orleans from a vetted local agent partner.
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Is New Orleans worth investing in? The long-term trends
People, jobs, rents and prices for the New Orleans-Metairie metro, straight from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Zillow. Hover or tap a chart for exact values.
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,005,404 |
| 2021 | 993,881 |
| 2022 | 978,983 |
| 2023 | 972,093 |
| 2024 | 973,384 |
| 2025 | 970,849 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2021 | -13,656 |
| 2022 | -24,963 |
| 2023 | -17,829 |
| 2024 | -10,936 |
| 2025 | -8,906 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 450,800 |
| 2011 | 455,000 |
| 2012 | 461,300 |
| 2013 | 469,700 |
| 2014 | 478,900 |
| 2015 | 486,600 |
| 2016 | 485,200 |
| 2017 | 483,500 |
| 2018 | 486,200 |
| 2019 | 491,600 |
| 2020 | 441,400 |
| 2021 | 447,800 |
| 2022 | 463,800 |
| 2023 | 467,900 |
| 2024 | 473,100 |
| 2025 | 473,100 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 2015 | $1,123/mo |
| Dec 2016 | $1,138/mo |
| Dec 2017 | $1,154/mo |
| Dec 2018 | $1,176/mo |
| Dec 2019 | $1,218/mo |
| Dec 2020 | $1,260/mo |
| Dec 2021 | $1,413/mo |
| Dec 2022 | $1,459/mo |
| Dec 2023 | $1,500/mo |
| Dec 2024 | $1,543/mo |
| Dec 2025 | $1,545/mo |
| Sep 2026 | $1,577/mo |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 2010 | $206,448 |
| Dec 2011 | $198,408 |
| Dec 2012 | $198,821 |
| Dec 2013 | $202,726 |
| Dec 2014 | $207,965 |
| Dec 2015 | $219,221 |
| Dec 2016 | $224,697 |
| Dec 2017 | $225,787 |
| Dec 2018 | $227,271 |
| Dec 2019 | $241,184 |
| Dec 2020 | $258,357 |
| Dec 2021 | $281,952 |
| Dec 2022 | $282,440 |
| Dec 2023 | $258,789 |
| Dec 2024 | $252,936 |
| Dec 2025 | $254,310 |
| Sep 2026 | $257,067 |
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Dec 2015 | 16.3× |
| Dec 2016 | 16.5× |
| Dec 2017 | 16.3× |
| Dec 2018 | 16.1× |
| Dec 2019 | 16.5× |
| Dec 2020 | 17.1× |
| Dec 2021 | 16.6× |
| Dec 2022 | 16.1× |
| Dec 2023 | 14.4× |
| Dec 2024 | 13.7× |
| Dec 2025 | 13.7× |
| Sep 2026 | 13.6× |
Data retrieved October 16, 2026. Figures cover the New Orleans-Metairie metro area.
The numbers and rules that matter in New Orleans
Zillow Home Value Index, New Orleans-Metairie metro, Sep 2026 (+1.6% YoY).
Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types, Sep 2026 (+1.7% YoY). Single-family 3-beds rent higher.
Typical rent ÷ typical home value. Well under the 1% rule; plan on cash flow from buying right, not from rents.
Over the past year: home values +1.6%, rents +1.7%.
Louisiana landlord-tenant basics
Louisiana is a civil-law state: leases are governed by its Civil Code and Title 9 of the Revised Statutes, not the uniform landlord-tenant acts many states use. Eviction is fast. New Orleans adds a citywide rental registry. The points investors ask about most:
- Notice to vacate (Code of Civil Procedure art. 4701): when the lease ends, including for nonpayment, deliver a written notice giving the tenant at least 5 days to leave before you file an eviction. A lease can waive this notice in writing, in which case you can file as soon as the lease ends.
- Deposit return (R.S. 9:3251): return the deposit within one month after the lease ends. If you keep any of it for unpaid rent or damage beyond normal wear, send an itemized statement with the reasons. Act 63 of 2026, effective August 1, 2026, amended this section to allow extra time for the itemized statement in some cases; check the current text.
- Deposit penalty (R.S. 9:3252): willfully failing to return a deposit can cost you the amount withheld plus the greater of $300 or twice the amount withheld. Not paying within 30 days after the tenant's written demand counts as willful.
- Set the deposit amount and a notice period for landlord entry in your lease, and use a lease written for Louisiana rather than a form from another state.
- New Orleans Healthy Homes: every rental unit in the city, including short-term rentals, must be registered and hold a Certificate of Compliance. Owners self-inspect against the city's minimum standards and sign an attestation, and the certificate is renewed every two years. The city moved to enforcement in late 2025 and is looking for unregistered rentals.
Short-term rental rules in New Orleans
New Orleans requires a permit for any stay under 30 consecutive days, and it limits investor STRs more than almost any big US city. The city rewrote its residential rules in 2023 after a federal court struck down its old homestead-exemption requirement, and in August 2026 the Fifth Circuit upheld the new rules and the city's platform verification system.
- Residential neighborhoods (non-commercial STR licenses): the operator has to live at the property during every stay. The licensee must be a natural person, not an LLC, and can hold only one non-commercial STR property. In a single-family home, one bedroom stays reserved for the owner.
- One per block: the city allows at most one non-commercial STR or bed and breakfast per square (city block). When more than one person applies for the same square, licenses go by lottery in quarterly application windows.
- Commercial STR licenses are allowed only in certain non-residential zoning districts. No more than one unit, or 25% of the units in a building, whichever is greater, can be commercial STRs, and they can't be on the ground floor of a building with homes above. The city has been studying further limits on commercial STRs and transient lodging; check the current zoning ordinance.
- The city runs a platform verification system: listing platforms check a property's license with the city, so an unpermitted listing usually won't stay up.
- Stays of 30 days or more don't need an STR permit. Furnished mid-term rentals to traveling nurses, film crews and other workers are the realistic alternative for investors, and they still need Healthy Homes registration.
- State and local sales and hotel taxes apply to STR stays. Confirm with your platform and the city which ones it collects.
Last reviewed October 16, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice — rules and fees change, so confirm with the city, the statute, or your attorney before you rely on them. Sources: Zillow Research data (ZHVI, ZORI) — New Orleans metro; Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure art. 4701 — Notice to vacate; La. R.S. 9:3251 — Deposits; return; La. R.S. 9:3252 — Failure to comply (deposits); Louisiana HB 292 (2026), Act 63 — Deposit return amendment; City of New Orleans — Healthy Homes; City of New Orleans — Healthy Homes program enforcement (Oct 2025); City of New Orleans — Short Term Rental Administration; City of New Orleans — Overview of short-term rentals; City of New Orleans — Non-commercial STR application training (2025); City of New Orleans — 2026 non-commercial STR renewal training; City of New Orleans — Non-commercial short-term rental regulations (2023); New Orleans Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Article 19; City Planning Commission — Transient lodging uses study notice (Oct 2025); New Orleans City Council — Fifth Circuit upholds N-STR ordinance and platform verification (Aug 2026).
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Questions investors ask about New Orleans
Which areas does your New Orleans agent cover?
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Our vetted agent partner is based in New Orleans and works with investors buying in the city. Tell us your strategy, budget and target neighborhoods and we'll match you. If your deal is a better fit for someone else, we'll tell you upfront.
Is New Orleans a good market for cash-flowing rentals?
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On paper, better than most big metros: typical rent-to-price is about 0.61% a month. In practice, insurance, flood risk and older housing eat much of that, and the metro is losing population. A rental can cash flow here if you buy right, get real insurance quotes before you offer, and check the flood zone. A median-priced, financed rental often won't.
Can I run an Airbnb in New Orleans?
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Not as an absentee investor in a residential neighborhood. Residential STR licenses require the operator to live at the property during stays, allow only one property per owner, and are limited to one per city block, assigned by lottery. Commercial STR licenses are limited to certain non-residential districts and a share of the units in a building. Rentals of 30 days or more don't need an STR permit.
Is Louisiana landlord-friendly?
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In some ways, yes. A notice to vacate needs only 5 days, and a lease can waive it. Deposits must be returned within a month of the lease ending, with an itemized statement for anything kept, and willfully holding one back can cost you twice the amount or $300. New Orleans adds a citywide rental registry. Louisiana is a civil-law state, so use a lease written for Louisiana.
Can I invest in New Orleans if I live out of state?
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Yes, but this is a market where local knowledge matters more than usual: flood zones, elevation, insurance, older construction and block-by-block differences. Pick an agent who walks properties for you, attends inspections, and connects you with an insurance broker and property manager before you commit.
What does it cost to get matched with a New Orleans agent?
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Nothing. Agents Invest is free for investors. The agent pays us a referral fee only if you close a deal with them.
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