What to Disclose When Selling a Home in Louisiana

By Harrison Lilly Realty  |  July 7, 2026

Most Monroe sellers know they need to disclose the big stuff — a leaking roof, a cracked foundation. What surprises people is the scope. Louisiana's Property Disclosure Document covers a lot more ground than most sellers expect, and the Louisiana Real Estate Commission updated its mandatory forms effective January 1, 2026. If you're listing your home in Monroe, West Monroe, or anywhere in Northeast Louisiana this year, here's exactly what you're required to tell buyers — and why getting this right protects you long after closing.

The Law Behind It

Louisiana's seller disclosure requirement comes from La. R.S. 9:3198, passed in 2003. It applies to any transfer of 1–4 unit residential property — sales, bond-for-deed contracts, lease-purchase agreements. The form itself is the LREC's Property Disclosure Document, updated with new mandatory language for 2026.

The core obligation is simple: disclose known defects. A "known defect" under Louisiana law is a condition you're actually aware of that:

• Substantially and adversely affects the property's value
• Significantly impairs the health or safety of future occupants, or
• Would significantly shorten the property's expected life if not repaired or removed

You answer each question with one of three options: Yes, No, or No Knowledge. Louisiana doesn't ask you to hunt for problems you weren't already aware of — but once you know something, it must be disclosed.

What the 2026 LREC Update Changed

The LREC made this clearer in the 2026 form. The updated language reinforces what agents have always known: a buyer's right to disclosure is a legal mandate that cannot be waived— not in a side agreement, not with "as-is" language, not in any other way. The phrase "despite any agreement to the contrary" now appears without parentheses, signaling this is non-negotiable.

The 2026 update also adds a continuous duty: if any part of your disclosure becomes inaccurate before the Act of Cash Sale — say, a pipe bursts after you go under contract — you're legally required to notify the buyer in writing.

When You Have to Deliver It

Timing matters. You must give the completed PDD to the buyer before they make an offer. That means it should be ready before you go active on the MLS.

If you deliver it after an offer is submitted, the buyer has 72 hours — excluding weekends and federal and state holidays — to terminate the contract and receive their full earnest money deposit back. No penalty to them, no matter what the purchase agreement says.

The safest approach: complete the PDD during your pre-listing process, alongside your comparative market analysis and pricing conversations.

What You Have to Disclose

The Property Disclosure Document covers every major system and structural component. Here's what you'll be asked about:

• Structure and foundation — foundation problems, settling, structural defects, modifications or additions
• Roof — type, age, known leaks, prior repairs
• Plumbing — sewage type (city sewer vs. septic), operational status, water supply issues, water damage evidence
• Electrical — known electrical problems
• HVAC — heating and cooling system operational status
• Termites and wood-destroying organisms — prior infestation, treatment history, known damage
• Flood history — FEMA-designated flood zone status, prior flooding, flood insurance claims
• Standing water and drainage — history of standing water on the property
• Hazardous materials — mold, asbestos, lead paint (federal requirement for homes built before 1978)
• Permits — improvements made without proper permits
• HOA — existence of a homeowners' association, fees, and restrictive covenants

For homes built before 1978, federal law also requires you to provide the EPA's lead hazard pamphlet and allow buyers a 10-day window to conduct a lead paint inspection.

The "As-Is" Myth

One of the most common misconceptions we hear from Monroe sellers: "I'm selling as-is, so I don't have to disclose anything." That's not how Louisiana law works.

Selling as-is limits your obligation to make repairs — it does not exempt you from completing the Property Disclosure Document. You still must fill out the PDD. And if you intentionally misrepresent something, "as-is" language doesn't protect you from a redhibition claim.

Redhibition is Louisiana's civil remedy for undisclosed defects. If a buyer can prove you knew about a problem and didn't disclose it, they can seek a reduction in price, reimbursement for repair costs, or in serious cases, full rescission of the sale. The Act of Cash Sale doesn't make those claims go away.

What You DON'T Have to Disclose

Louisiana law is specific about what's off the table:

• A death that occurred in the home (not required in Louisiana)
• Whether a prior occupant had HIV or AIDS
• The proximity of a registered sex offender

The focus is on the physical condition of the property — not its history.

The Monroe and NELA Context

A few things matter more in Northeast Louisiana than in other markets.

Flood history is one. The Ouachita River corridor, parts of Richland Parish, and low-lying areas across the region carry flood exposure that buyers — especially the wave of relocating workers arriving ahead of the Meta/Hyperion data center — may not fully understand. If the home has flooded, disclose it. If it's in a FEMA flood zone, disclose it. Don't assume buyers from out of state know to ask.

Termites are the other. NE Louisiana's heat and humidity make it one of the more active termite markets in the state. If there has been prior treatment or damage, those questions are on the form. Answer them accurately. A current termite bond and treatment history can actually support your sale — buyers find out at inspection anyway, so transparency protects you.

Your listing agent walks through the PDD with you before you go on the market — the same way we do with every seller at Harrison Lilly Realty. We've seen what happens when sellers navigate this alone. The form isn't complicated, but the stakes are. An agent who knows the current LREC requirements and the specific questions that matter in our market keeps you from making disclosures that are either too vague or that expose you to post-sale liability.

If you're also dealing with a more complex situation — an inherited property, prior flood damage, or unpermitted work — knowing what to do before you list makes a real difference. And once you go under contract, understanding the full process from contract to closing keeps the transaction moving without surprises.