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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2023 -- S 0311 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC001658 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Senators Murray, Mack, Miller, Euer, Sosnowski, Quezada, Acosta, |
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| 17 | 17 | | DiMario, Kallman, and Raptakis |
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| 18 | 18 | | Date Introduced: February 16, 2023 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 34-18 of the General Laws entitled “Residential Landlord and Tenant 1 |
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| 24 | 24 | | Act” is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 2 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 34-18-58. Prohibition of rental application fees. 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | (a) A landlord, lessor, sub-lessor, real estate broker, property management company, or 4 |
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| 27 | 27 | | designee shall not require or demand any prospective tenant or tenant to pay a rental application 5 |
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| 28 | 28 | | fee, or collect any rental application fee from a prospective tenant or tenant. 6 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) For the purposes of this section, "rental application fee" means any monetary fee that 7 |
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| 30 | 30 | | is collected during the rental application rental process for a residential unit, including, but not 8 |
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| 31 | 31 | | limited to, a fee for a credit check, background check, screening, or administrative services. 9 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (c) Any violation of this section shall be deemed a deceptive trade practice pursuant to § 10 |
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| 33 | 33 | | 6-13.1-2 and shall be punishable pursuant to the provisions set forth in § 6-13.1-14. 11 |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 12 |
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| 35 | 35 | | ======== |
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| 36 | 36 | | LC001658 |
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| 37 | 37 | | ======== |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | LC001658 - Page 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 42 | 42 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 43 | 43 | | OF |
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| 44 | 44 | | A N A C T |
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| 45 | 45 | | RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT |
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| 46 | 46 | | *** |
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| 47 | 47 | | This act would prohibit a landlord, lessor, sub-lessor, real estate broker, property 1 |
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| 48 | 48 | | management company, or designee to require or receive a fee for a rental application from a 2 |
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| 49 | 49 | | prospective tenant or tenant. Violations would be unfair business practices punishable as a 3 |
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| 50 | 50 | | misdemeanor with a fine of five hundred dollars ($500). 4 |
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| 51 | 51 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 5 |
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| 52 | 52 | | ======== |
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| 53 | 53 | | LC001658 |
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| 54 | 54 | | ======== |
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