Here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana there are certain things real estate investors need to be aware of. One such item is the UDC. The UDC or Unified Development Code contains code information that applies to the various classes of property around town. One such hot topic in Baton Rouge is the number of people you may have living in a tenant occupied property.
If you purchase a home, a single family dwelling, in East Baton Rouge Parish, plan to have no more than two unrelated occupants. Any more than 2 unrelated occupants and you could be getting letters and/or fines from the Parish Attorney. This is common issue in neighborhoods near the LSU campus.
Here's a common example: A Parent purchases a home for their son and two roomates to live it. If the parent(s) are the owner(s) of the home and not the son, then the son and his two roomates are considered tenants. These tenants since none are related to each other are in violation of the UDC. If a neighbor complains, the parish attorney will investigate and has been evicting the occupants of the homes and fining the owners.
Another example is when an investor purchases a 3 bedroom home and rents is out to 3 occupants. If the 3 occupants are unrelated to each other, the parish attorney may get involved.
This is, of course, something you need to know about before purchasing property. There are ways to protect yourself, so you and your REALTOR need to have a talk about how you intend to use the property and the best way to structure your sale.
For more information on the UDC check with the Planning and Zoning offices in Baton Rouge.
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