Landlord insurance in Louisiana
Landlord insurance in Louisiana covers rental property damage, landlord liability, and income interruption. Coverage levels and pricing reflect property type and regional storm exposure. Get a quote for Louisiana landlord insurance designed for your rental.
We've gotten more than $49 million in property insured in Louisiana
What to know about rental properties in Louisiana
For rental property investors, Louisiana offers a unique combination of huge opportunity and significant risk. The state is landlord-friendly, has no rent control, a relatively fast eviction process, and active rental markets in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Lafayette. The culture, tourism economy, and university systems create consistent demand for both long-term and short-term rentals.
Yet Louisiana stands among the most natural disaster-prone states in the nation, where catastrophic weather events have fundamentally altered the real estate landscape across multiple decades. Hurricanes sweeping in from the Gulf Coast bring devastating storm surge and winds exceeding 150 mph, compounded by tropical storms that can dump over 20 inches of rainfall in a single event and tornadoes that peak during spring months with an average of 27 confirmed touchdowns annually.
Hurricane Katrina notably devastated huge portions of New Orleans in 2005 and caused damage estimated at over $125 billion. More recent storms like Ida in 2021 and Laura in 2020 have demonstrated the continuing vulnerability of Louisiana's infrastructure. The state's insurance market has been volatile in recent years, with premiums rising and some carriers reducing their exposure to the state (or eliminating it entirely).
How landlord insurance works in Louisiana
Landlord insurance in Louisiana covers structural damage, liability, and lost rental income for properties you rent to tenants. This coverage is separate from homeowners insurance, which only applies to properties you occupy yourself. If you have a homeowners policy and rent your property out, that policy no longer covers you for damage or liability.
A standard landlord policy includes:
- Dwelling coverage to repair the structure after covered events
- Liability coverage to handle injury claims
- Loss of rent coverage to protect your income while the property is being repaired
Louisiana's hurricane and storm exposure make this coverage especially important. Most policies include a separate and often higher deductible for certain perils (Windstorm or Hail, Named Storm, Hurricane) — typically a percentage of the dwelling coverage amount — so understanding your deductible structure before a storm hits is critical.
Properties located in Wind Pool territories along the coast face additional underwriting requirements and may require separate wind coverage through the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, the state-run insurer of last resort that currently covers over 100,000 properties statewide.
Should you invest in rental property in Louisiana?
Wondering whether buying a rental in the Pelican State actually pencils out? The price-to-rent ratio below divides a home's price by a year of rent, a fast read on buying versus renting: under about 15 favors buying, over 20 favors renting, and the national average sits near 23. We rank all 50 states from #1 (best value for buyers) to #50 (worst), and Louisiana ranks near the top.
Single-family homes in Louisiana
Condos in Louisiana
Average rent
Price-to-rent ratio
DP-1 vs DP-3 comparison for Louisiana
Feature
DP-1
DP-3
Do you need landlord insurance in Louisiana?
In a state where a single hurricane season can reshape the insurance landscape, operating a rental property without coverage is an outsized gamble. The cost of rebuilding after a major storm, the liability exposure from tenant injuries, and the income you lose while a damaged property sits vacant can all be financially devastating.
Coastal properties carry the most significant premiums, while properties in Shreveport and the northern part of the state are generally more affordable. Properties constructed before 1978 face additional scrutiny due to lead paint regulations, while those built after 2000 may qualify for wind mitigation discounts if they meet current building codes.
Recent market disruptions illustrate the precarious nature of Louisiana's property insurance environment; major carriers have significantly reduced their Louisiana portfolios since 2020. The risk is simply too high to go uninsured in the Bayou State.
Average cost of landlord insurance in Louisiana
Louisiana landlord insurance carries a median premium of around $2,561 per year, one of the highest averages in the country. The aforementioned risk environment explains the elevated figure.
Hurricane exposure along the Gulf Coast is the most significant factor, and the state's claims history factors heavily into how insurers price rental property coverage. It's hard to find a state with more comprehensive history of claims, so the premiums are priced accordingly.
Like every other state, the exact location of your property will matter quite a bit in determining your premium; Louisiana's diverse geography means premiums can vary significantly from the hurricane-prone coastal parishes to the safer inland regions. Your property type, its age, and condition will also determine where your actual premium lands relative to the median. Coastal and low-lying properties can quote significantly above the median, while inland Louisiana rentals may see more moderate figures.
To get a quote on your rental property, all you need to do is enter your address and some other quick details below. Quotes are completely free and will be sent to your email within minutes.
The coverage gaps a basic Louisiana landlord insurance quote skips
Louisiana's rental stock skews old, and its building codes get stricter after every major storm. That combination creates a gap most landlords never notice until they file a claim: when a covered loss forces a rebuild, the parish can require you to bring the whole structure up to current wind and elevation code, and a standard policy pays only to replace what was there, not the added cost of meeting today's code. On an older New Orleans or Baton Rouge property, that upgrade bill alone can run into five figures. Ordinance or law coverage is what closes it.
The second gap is time. After a hurricane, contractors and materials are stretched thin across the whole region and permitting slows to a crawl, so a rebuild that would take three months in a normal year can stretch past a year. Standard loss of rent coverage often caps the payout at twelve months, which means the income your investment depends on can run out before the property is livable again. It is worth asking about a longer indemnity period before you buy, not after the water recedes.
Neither exposure shows up in a basic quote, and neither is triggered by the wind and flood risks every Louisiana landlord already weighs. They are the quiet gaps that decide whether a Gulf Coast rental survives a bad season on paper as well as in fact, so factor both in alongside the named-storm deductible and flood policy when you compare coverage.
Properties we look after
We make it easy to get landlord insurance for many types of properties
We also help AirBNBs, VRBOS, and other rental properties
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Coverages
We cover a wide range of risks, or you can choose a limited set of coverages for a lower premium
Riot & civil commotion
Steadily’s landlord insurance covers property damage from riots and civil commotion — broken windows, structural fires, looted common areas — so the repair costs don’t fall entirely on you. Documentation connecting the damage to the civil unrest is required.
Vandalism & burglary
Steadily covers malicious damage to your rental from vandalism and break-ins — broken doors and windows, defaced surfaces, damaged fixtures and appliances. A police report is typically required to file the claim.
Loss of rent
When a covered event makes the unit temporarily uninhabitable, Steadily’s loss of rent coverage replaces the income you’d lose while repairs are underway — whether the cause is a fire, a burst pipe, or storm damage.
Storm and hail
Steadily covers storm and hail damage to the structure of your property — roof punctures, broken windows, wind-torn siding, fallen debris — as well as damage from extreme wind and tornadoes.
Water
For sudden water damage events such as burst pipes, plumbing failures and appliance overflow, Steadily covers the structural repairs and lost rental income if the unit can’t be occupied while the work is done. Flood damage from rising water requires a separate policy.
Legal liability
Landlord liability insurance pays medical bills, legal defense, and settlements when a tenant or visitor is injured at your rental and holds you responsible. It's built into every Steadily landlord policy in all 50 states with $300,000 to $2 million per occurrence, typically adding $200 to $400 a year to the bundled premium.
Fire
Steadily covers structural fire damage, smoke damage, personal property you own at the unit, and lost rental income while repairs are underway. That includes fires started in the kitchen, by the wiring, by a tenant, or by a wildfire nearby.
FAQs
about landlord insurance in
Louisiana
Is landlord insurance required by law in Louisiana?
No state law requires it, but Louisiana is one of the most expensive and highest-risk states for rental property owners. Hurricane exposure, flood risk, and rising insurance costs across the board mean that carrying comprehensive coverage isn't just recommended — it's effectively mandatory for anyone serious about protecting their investment. Lenders require coverage on financed properties, and the cost of going without is staggering given the state's weather history.
Can a landlord require renters insurance in Louisiana?
Louisiana law allows landlords to require tenants to carry renters insurance as part of the lease. Given the state's elevated risk for weather-related damage, many landlords view this requirement as non-negotiable. It ensures tenants have coverage for their personal property and liability, which reduces the overall risk for everyone involved.
Does standard landlord insurance in Louisiana cover flood damage?
No — and this is critical for Louisiana landlords. Flood damage is excluded from standard landlord policies nationwide, and Louisiana's flood risk makes this gap especially dangerous. You'll need a separate flood insurance policy through the NFIP or a private insurer. Given Louisiana's history of catastrophic flooding events, treating flood coverage as optional is one of the most common and costly mistakes landlords make in the state.
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