New Orleans Short-Term Rentals in Limbo

A federal judge halted the city’s lottery-based program in August, leaving current and prospective hosts in a legal gray area.

1 minute read

November 22, 2023, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


View looking up at wrought iron French Quarter balcony in New Orleans with bright green fern plants in planters.

evenfh / Adobe Stock

An experiment in managing short-term rentals via a lottery in New Orleans remains in limbo after a federal judge halted the program in August, reports Amanda Hoover in Wired.

“The city has said it is no longer accepting applications for the short-term rental licenses it requires hosts to have, nor is it renewing existing ones. And, until the court makes a final ruling, the lottery balls have stopped spinning and the city has halted enforcement of its latest licensing rules,” Hoover writes. 

The situation results from a lawsuit filed by prospective hosts and rental companies that disputes the city’s claim that there are too many short-term rentals and the program’s narrow licensing rules.

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