RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT
H8112 amends Rhode Island’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act to require clearer disclosure of rental costs and related obligations in lease agreements. Landlords would have to identify all fees beyond rent, disclose which utility costs are included in rent and which are the tenant’s responsibility, and state any renters insurance requirement in the lease or in writing if there is no written lease. If a landlord fails to make these disclosures, the tenant could recover undisclosed fees paid for the unit. The bill also preserves existing rules on rent payment timing and tenancy terms, while adding a specific right for certain older tenants to end a lease early when moving into a qualifying care facility or elderly housing, and it retains military service termination protections for servicemembers and their dependents.
The bill also changes security deposit law. It increases the maximum security deposit a landlord may demand from one month’s periodic rent to two months’ periodic rent, and it creates a separate furniture security deposit option for furnished apartments when the furnished items meet a stated value threshold. The bill keeps the existing requirement that landlords return deposits within 20 days after tenancy ends, possession is delivered, or a forwarding address is provided, and it preserves penalties for wrongful withholding. It also clarifies that tenants may pay last month’s rent or other prepaid rent, and that prepaid amounts must be refunded if they extend beyond the lease termination date.
The overall sentiment in the available materials appears neutral to mildly landlord-favorable on the deposit issue and tenant-protective on disclosure requirements. The bill’s explanatory note emphasizes the practical ability for tenants to pay last month’s rent and the higher security deposit cap, suggesting the measure is framed as a clarification and adjustment of lease practices rather than a major overhaul. No committee testimony or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented public debate in the supplied record.
The main points of contention likely concern the higher security deposit cap, which could increase upfront housing costs for renters, versus the added disclosure requirements and refund remedies, which strengthen tenant transparency and enforcement. Another potential issue is the new furniture security deposit provision for furnished units, which may be viewed as beneficial to landlords with higher-value furnishings but could add another cost for tenants. The bill also contains a specific age-based early termination right for tenants entering assisted living or nursing care, which may be seen as a targeted tenant protection with limited scope.
H8112 would amend Rhode Island General Laws chapter 34-18, the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, by adding mandatory disclosure rules for fees, utilities, and renters insurance, and by creating a tenant remedy to recover undisclosed fees. It would also revise the security deposit statute to allow deposits up to two months’ periodic rent, authorize a separate furniture security deposit in qualifying furnished rentals, and preserve the existing 20-day return deadline and damages for wrongful withholding. In addition, it would codify an early lease termination right for certain tenants age 65 or older entering care facilities or elderly housing, while leaving servicemember termination protections in place.
Based on the bill text and the limited context provided, the measure appears to have a mixed but generally practical policy orientation: tenant-protective on disclosure and refund rights, while landlord-favorable on the increased security deposit cap. The explanatory note highlights straightforward operational changes, and there are no recorded votes or committee transcripts indicating strong opposition or support. Overall, the bill reads as a technical and consumer-disclosure update rather than a highly controversial proposal.
The most likely point of contention is the increase in the maximum security deposit from one month to two months’ rent, which could be criticized as raising move-in costs and creating a barrier for renters. Tenant advocates may also scrutinize the furniture security deposit provision because it adds another upfront charge in furnished housing. By contrast, landlords may support the clearer disclosure requirements but could object to the new refund remedy for undisclosed fees and the continued strict timelines for returning deposits. The age-65 early termination provision and servicemember protections are less likely to be controversial, as they are targeted exceptions with limited application.