Starting on January 1, 2025, a new law will make it easier for tenants to understand the full cost of a rental.  Rhode Island Public Laws 308 and 309, which are identical,  will require a landlord to disclose all fees to a tenant in writing as part of a written rental agreement or a separate disclosure if there is no written rental agreement.  The fees must be mentioned in the same section as rent.

The law is also intended to accomplish the following:

▪A landlord cannot charge a tenant a “convenience fee” for using a specific method to pay rent, such as paying by credit card, using a specific application, etc. unless the landlord offers the tenant at least one way to pay rent without a fee.

▪The rental agreement must list which utilities will be paid by the landlord, and which will be paid by the tenant as part of a written rental agreement or a separate disclosure if there is no written rental agreement.

▪The rental agreement must disclose any requirement for a tenant to pay renter’s insurance a part of a written rental agreement or in writing if there is no written rental agreement.

▪The agreement must disclose any changes to fees in writing a minimum of 30 days before the new requirements go into effect. If there is a written lease in effect, both the landlord and tenant must agree to any changes.

Penalties: If a landlord fails to properly disclose any of the above information, a tenant will be entitled to a refund of all fees, including utilities, renter’s insurance, and other fees that were not properly disclosed.

The RIAR Forms Committee is incorporating these changes into the RIAR Residential Lease.

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