On January 1, 2024, a new law, Public Law 319, will restrict the type and amount of fees that landlords, property managers, rental agents, etc. can charge rental applicants.

The landlord may ask a tenant to provide a criminal background check/BCI and a credit report issued within 90 days prior to the date of the application. If the tenant does not provide current documents, the landlord may charge the applicant the actual cost of a criminal background check and credit report with no markup. The landlord must provide a copy of the report(s) to the applicant.

The Forms Committee has revised the following documents to bring them into compliance with these and other laws that govern rentals. Also, the committee did a comprehensive review of both forms since they had not been updated in a while.

The Rhode Island Association of REALTORS® Executive Committee has approved updates to the following forms that were created by the Forms Committee, as well as a new form created by the committee. 

• Residential Rental Application
• Residential Lease
• NEW - Co-Signer Addendum to Residential Lease

 The forms were sent to the forms vendors in early November 2023. Different vendors update the forms at different times.

• Co-Signer Addendum to Residential Lease – This form is intended to be used by a parent or anyone who chooses to act as the guarantor of a rental agreement if tenant does not have sufficient funds to pay the rent and/or has poor credit. The Addendum explains the duties of the guarantor and can be used with the RIAR Residential Lease or other rental agreement.

For more information, please contact the RIAR Legal Department at 401-432-6945 or email [email protected].