Permits a tenant, at the tenant’s expense, to implement energy conservation measures to any dwelling or dwelling unit such as removable weather-stripping around doors and windows.
Summary
S0058 amends Rhode Island’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to expressly allow tenants, at their own expense, to install certain non-structural energy conservation measures in a dwelling or dwelling unit. Examples listed in the bill include removable weather-stripping around doors and windows, removable interior storm windows, and insulation wrap around hot water heating tanks. The measure is framed as a tenant right to make modest efficiency improvements without needing to alter the building itself.
The bill also leaves intact the existing self-help repair framework in § 34-18-30 for limited repairs when a landlord fails to address certain habitability issues, but the new language is focused specifically on energy-saving measures. It clarifies that these tenant-installed measures cannot be used to justify structural changes to the property and do not limit other legal remedies available to tenants under the law. The act would take effect immediately upon passage.
Impact
The bill would amend Rhode Island General Laws § 34-18-30 in the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act by adding a new subsection authorizing tenant-funded energy conservation improvements in rental housing. It would affect landlords and tenants by making clear that tenants may install removable, non-structural efficiency measures in their units, while preserving the landlord’s control over structural alterations and the broader statutory scheme governing repairs and habitability. The bill does not create a landlord reimbursement obligation for these energy measures because the work is done at the tenant’s expense.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the measure appears to be a modest, low-conflict tenant-protection and energy-efficiency proposal. Its tone is practical rather than controversial, emphasizing small-scale conservation improvements and clarifying tenant rights without imposing new duties on landlords. There is no evidence in the available record of organized support or opposition, but the bill’s limited scope suggests it is intended to be a straightforward statutory clarification.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the balance between tenant autonomy and landlord property control. Landlords may be concerned about unauthorized alterations, even if the bill limits changes to removable, non-structural items, while tenants and housing advocates may view the measure as a sensible way to reduce utility costs and improve energy efficiency. A secondary issue is that the bill allows tenants to act at their own expense, which means the practical benefit depends on tenant resources and may not address broader affordability concerns.