TL;DR
- License type: You'll need a real estate license at the salesperson or broker level to get paid to manage rentals for other owners in Louisiana.
- Governing authority: The Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) issues and oversees real estate licenses statewide.
- Pre-licensing education: The salesperson path includes 90 hours of LREC-approved coursework and a school-administered final test.
- Licensing test: Pearson Professional Assessments administers separate national and Louisiana sections, each with an $81 exam fee.
- Filing fees: LREC charges $90 total ($45 license fee, $10 research and education fund, $10 recovery fund, and $25 processing fee).
- E&O insurance: Every active licensee must carry coverage, and the LREC group policy costs $149 per year.
- Continuing education: Active licensees need to complete 12 hours each year (including at least 4 LREC-specified hours) by December 31st.
If you’re a leasing agent or real estate salesperson, you may need a property management license in Louisiana. Simply put, the state treats leasing, negotiating, and collecting rent for someone else as real estate activity, and you can’t start charging management fees without a license.
To get you up to speed, this guide explains how to become a property manager in Louisiana, from meeting the Louisiana Real Estate Commission’s eligibility rules to finishing the licensing process. Stay tuned to learn what the job involves, how much the process may cost, when an owner or employee may qualify for an exception, and how rental management software can lighten your workload.
Duties of a Property Manager
Once an owner signs a management agreement, you’ll take over many of the day-to-day decisions that keep a rental running, which include:
- Marketing property by pricing vacancies and answering inquiries
- Collecting rent and managing owner disbursements by receiving payments and sending funds
- Drafting, executing, and enforcing lease agreements by preparing documents and renewals
- Coordinating and logging maintenance requests by dispatching vendors and tracking repairs
- Screening tenants and managing vacancies, thereby reducing downtime between rentals
- Handling tenant communication by serving notices and coordinating turnovers
- Trust accounting and owner financial reporting by maintaining escrow records and statements
- Conducting inspections by documenting a unit’s condition at move-in, move-out, and other approved times
- Ensuring fair housing compliance by following federal, state, and local rental laws
Landlord management software helps you keep admin work manageable and stay on top of rent payments, property records, and tenant conversations without having to handle everything manually.
Does Louisiana require a property management license?
Yes, Louisiana law defines property management as marketing, leasing, or overseeing real property for another person in exchange for a fee or other payment (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1431(20)).
You can perform those services with an active salesperson license while working under a licensed broker, but if you want to operate independently later, you’ll need to earn a broker’s license before managing properties without that sponsorship (LREC).
Owners who manage property they personally own don’t need to get a license. With that in mind, a third-party manager must become licensed before accepting payment (even if the portfolio includes only one or two rentals).
Louisiana Property Manager License Requirements
Before you submit your paperwork, you’ll have to meet the Louisiana Real Estate Commission‘s (LREC) four standards for age, education, background screening, and insurance:
Age and Residency
You must be at least 18, but you don’t have to live in Louisiana.
You’ll also need a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. Louisiana accepts nonresident candidates under conditions set by LREC, so you don’t need to move into the state (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1437(C), § 37:1437(E)).
Pre-Licensing Education
You have to complete 90 hours of LREC-approved coursework.
Approved schools offer classes online and in person, and each program finishes with a school-administered final test (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1437(C)(4)(a)).
The broker route takes far more preparation: 150 classroom hours and 4 years of active licensure (including the 2 years immediately before filing) (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1437(C)(1)(a)(i)).
Background Check
You’ll need to submit fingerprints for a criminal background review.
IdentoGO will collect your prints, and the Louisiana State Police and FBI must process the results before the LREC will issue a license (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1435.1).
Keep in mind that LREC may deny a license for forgery, larceny, extortion, or a felony directly tied to real estate activity (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1437(B)(2)).
Errors and Omissions Insurance
You’ll need to secure E&O coverage before LREC will activate your license.
Errors and omissions insurance helps cover financial losses arising from a licensee’s professional mistake or oversight, and every active licensee must carry it (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1466). The LREC group plan provides $100,000 in coverage per claim and costs $149 a year.
How to Get a Louisiana Property Management License
Getting a Louisiana real estate license moves through four stages: education, testing, filing, and broker affiliation. Here’s how each stage works.
1. Complete Your Pre-Licensing Coursework
First, you’ll need to complete 90 hours through an LREC-approved school. Whether you take the program online or in a classroom, it will conclude with a school-administered final test. Tuition depends largely on the school and study format you choose.
2. Pass the Louisiana Real Estate Test
After LREC clears you for testing, you can schedule both sections through Pearson Professional Assessments, Louisiana’s testing provider. The test includes 80 national questions and 55 state-specific questions, with a separate passing standard for each section. The exam fee is $81 for a first attempt.
If you pass one section but not the other, you’ll have 1 year to complete the remaining portion instead of restarting both parts.
3. Submit Your License Paperwork
LREC splits the licensing application into two parts. You’ll need to submit Part A with your course certificate and fee before you test, and you can submit Part B after you pass, with proof of E&O insurance. Mail or hand-deliver both to LREC’s Baton Rouge office, since initial filings aren’t accepted online.
LREC’s review, background clearance, and final processing can take several weeks, so don’t plan to start managing properties the day after you pass the test.
4. Affiliate With a Sponsoring Broker
Most first-time licensees start as salespersons under an experienced broker. That arrangement lets you perform property management work while building the active-license history needed for the broker path.
You’ll need 4 years of licensure before moving up, with 2 of those years falling immediately before your broker filing. Until then, your sponsoring broker remains responsible for the licensed activity you conduct (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1437(C)(1)(a)(i)).
Costs and Timeline
LREC, Pearson Professional Assessments, and IdentoGO set the fixed charges, and tuition is added on top. Tuition drives most of the difference, as online and classroom packages can vary widely in price.
- Pre-licensing coursework: Depends on the school and format
- Fingerprint processing: $60.75 for in-state service through IdentoGO
- LREC application and licensing fees: $90 ($45 license fee, $10 research and education fund, $10 recovery fund, and $25 processing fee)
- Pearson Professional Assessments exam fee: $81 for the first attempt
- E&O insurance (LREC group policy): $149 per year
Ultimately, the timeline depends on your own pace. LREC will keep your application and fee on file for a year, meaning your exam authorization is valid for a year with unlimited attempts, and fingerprint results also remain valid for up to a year.
Who is exempt from Louisiana's license requirement?
Not everyone who helps with a rental needs a Louisiana property management license, though the state’s exceptions don’t grant unlimited authority. Here are a few common exemptions to consider:
Owners managing their own property: An owner may manage property they personally own without holding a real estate license (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1438(A)(5)).
A broker’s salaried employees: Louisiana also allows a licensed broker’s salaried employee to handle certain tasks, such as showing units, delivering leases, and collecting payments. The work must stay on the statutory list, though, while the broker remains responsible for the employee’s conduct (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1438(A)(6)).
LLCs and other entities: If you’re managing through an LLC, the owner exception covers an entity that manages property it owns. However, if the company manages rentals for other owners, it must hold the appropriate license (regardless of who owns the company).
What happens if you manage property without a license in Louisiana?
Working for other owners without a Louisiana real estate license can result in criminal penalties, civil fines, and contract problems:
Cease-and-desist order: LREC may first issue a cease-and-desist order, and the local district attorney holds sole authority to prosecute.
Criminal charges: Unlicensed property management is a misdemeanor. Starting 5 calendar days after LREC serves its cease-and-desist letter by certified mail, the offender may face a fine of up to $500 per day, up to 3 months in jail, or both (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1436(E)).
Civil fines and restitution: The LREC may also assess a civil fine of up to $5,000 and order the return of money collected during the unlicensed work (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1459(B), § 37:1459(D)).
Uncollectible fees: In addition, an unlicensed manager can’t sue in Louisiana courts to recover unpaid management fees they “earned” illegally (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1445).
Beyond the License: Starting Your Louisiana Property Management Career
A Louisiana property management license gets you into the field, but the work can become harder to manage as you add rentals, owners, and team members. Rent payments, renewals, service requests, inspections, and financial reports can quickly outgrow Excel spreadsheets and inbox folders.
Property management software brings all those tasks into one system. With it, owners can check statements, financials, and property activity through a portal (without calling you for every update).
As the portfolio expands, team management tools can limit access by role. Maintenance coordinators see open work orders, leasing agents focus on their units, and accountants handle financial information without opening tenant records. Integrated accounting that syncs with QuickBooks will keep the books ready for review at all times.
Start a free 14-day trial with TenantCloud before your first lease renewal comes due.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a real estate license to be a property manager in Louisiana?
Yes. You’ll need an active real estate license to manage rentals for other owners in exchange for payment. A salesperson can work under a sponsoring broker, while a broker may operate independently. You can manage property you personally own without following the same licensing process (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1436, § 37:1438).
How much does a Louisiana property management license cost?
Beyond tuition, the fixed charges are $90 in LREC fees, $81 for the Pearson Professional Assessments exam, $60.75 for in-state fingerprinting, and $149 for the group E&O policy. The overall price depends on where you choose to go to school.
Can I manage a rental property without a license?
You can manage a property you personally own. However, collecting a fee to manage someone else’s rental without an active license can lead to LREC action, criminal charges, civil fines, and fees the courts won’t let you recover (La. Stat. Ann. § 37:1436(E), § 37:1445).
Can you take Louisiana pre-licensing courses online?
Yes. LREC-approved schools may offer the 90-hour salesperson course online or in a classroom. Either route ends with a school-administered final test, so you can pick the format that better suits your schedule.
How many continuing education hours do Louisiana property managers complete each year?
Active licensees complete 12 hours annually by December 31st. At least 4 hours must cover subjects selected by LREC, while the remaining hours can come from other approved continuing education courses.
