Calling all contenders in the NSTR Lottery game: mark your calendars for April 24, 2025, because that's when opportunity knocks next. With the application window running from April 6 through 12, hopefuls have a tight timeframe to get their ducks in a row. For some much-needed guidance, the organizers are hosting office hours from April 7 to 11, at 1340 Poydras St, on the 8th floor, making it a tad simpler to navigate through the application maze, as reported by the City of New Orleans.
Before diving into applications, prospective applicants must sit through a mandatory online training, which TEAMS is hosting on April 2, 3, and 4 at noon sharp. Now, if your NSTR License is still good until June 30, 2025, feel free to skip the training wheels this time around, and focus that energy elsewhere. Owner or operator applicants, however, you're not off the hook and MUST attend – it's a must, so clear your schedule.
There's homework to be done before April 6: check your items in the One Stop App and tie up any loose ends like open violations or ISSUED permits, and should you hit a snag with the latter, you'll want to get cozy with Jay Dufour, the Chief Building Official, via email for approval to continue in the lottery with any outstanding permits. Other checkboxes include ensuring your property's zoning and addressing are on the straight and narrow – think one address per single-family home, two for a duplex, and so on. Properties under multiple ownerships will need an autograph from each party, paired with a snapshot of their ID, and LLC-owned properties need a rework into personal names. Operators need a local photo ID listing the property's address; not too much to ask for a shot at the rental big leagues.
Lastly, make sure your square's open on the NSTR License Map, those open spaces are your white canvases. For the property investors with a portfolio of rentals, the Healthy Homes registration is your final boss; get each property through this level and you're golden for more info, shoot an email to the Healthy Homes Administration or visit their site. There's even a handy NSTR Checklist to make sure you tick all the boxes and don't trip at the starting line. With all that said, prep up, and good luck to all the players in this property game – may your applications be strong and your trainings enlightening.
