Over the last several years, Rhode Island has seen a number of law changes affecting rentals. To help get you up to speed, RI REALTORS® has outlined some of the most notable changes from the last few years:

Register short-term rentals with DBR:
Starting on January 1, 2023, rental units and/or rooms that will be rented for 30 nights or less on a third-party hosting platform, including a real estate broker’s website, Airbnb, VRBO, and others, must be registered with Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation before advertising the listing. Welcome | Dept. of Business Regulation (ri.gov)  

It is illegal to discriminate against Section 8 recipients:
Since April 2020, Rhode Island law prohibits landlords, rental agents, and property managers from refusing to rent or sell to individuals based on their source of income, which includes vouchers, government assistance, alimony, and others. English version:  SOI Information Sheet.pdf (ri.gov) | Spanish version:  SPA-Rhode Island SOI Fact Sheet.pdf (ri.gov)

Residential landlords must carry liability insurance:
Starting on January 1, 2022, Rhode Island requires owners of rental property to have a general liability insurance policy in place with minimum coverage of $100,000 to cover people who are injured in or on the rental property as a result of the landlord’s negligence. The landlord “shall provide a copy of the declaration page showing the policy” with the written lease to the tenant along with the rental at the start of the tenancy and each time that the insurance policy is renewed. webserver.rilegislature.gov//Statutes/TITLE34/34-18/34-18-22_1.htm. 

Landlords can charge furniture deposits:
Since 2018, Rhode Island law has allowed landlords to collect both a security deposit and a furniture deposit for a furnished rental where the replacement cost of the furniture is $5,000 or more at the time of the rental. 34-18-19 (rilegislature.gov)

Review security deposit FAQs:
The RIAR Risk Management Committee has created a resource for REALTORS® to explain the legal requirements for security deposits, including the maximum amount allowed, which costs can be deducted, and when a deposit must be returned. Share this with landlords and tenants to help set expectations. Security_Deposits_FAQs_-_CustomizeSave.pdf (rirealtors.org)

Questions?  REALTORS®, please contact the RIAR Legal Hot Line at 401-432-6945 or email [email protected].