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| 5 | 5 | | 2023 -- S 1099 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC003149 |
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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: Senator Tiara T. Mack |
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| 17 | 17 | | Date Introduced: June 06, 2023 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Referred To: Senate Judiciary |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. Section 34-18-30 of the General Laws in Chapter 34-18 entitled "Residential 1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | Landlord and Tenant Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2 |
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| 24 | 24 | | 34-18-30. Self-help for limited repairs. 3 |
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| 25 | 25 | | (a) If the landlord fails to comply with subsection of § 34-18-22(a)(1), (2), (4), (5), or (6), 4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | and the reasonable cost of compliance is less than one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) five 5 |
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| 27 | 27 | | hundred dollars ($500) in the aggregate per year, the tenant may cause repairs to be done in a skilled 6 |
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| 28 | 28 | | manner, in compliance with applicable state and local codes, and deduct from his or her rent the 7 |
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| 29 | 29 | | actual and reasonable cost or the fair and reasonable value of the repairs if: 8 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) The tenant notifies the landlord of his or her intention to correct the condition at the 9 |
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| 31 | 31 | | landlord’s expense; and 10 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) The landlord fails to comply within twenty (20) days, or fails to demonstrate ongoing, 11 |
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| 33 | 33 | | good faith efforts to comply, after being notified by the tenant in writing; or, in the case of 12 |
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| 34 | 34 | | emergency, the landlord either cannot be reached by the tenant, or the landlord fails to comply as 13 |
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| 35 | 35 | | promptly as conditions require; and 14 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) The tenant submits an itemized statement to the landlord of the cost or the fair and 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | reasonable value of the repairs made. 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) A tenant may not repair at the landlord’s expense if the condition was caused by the 17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | deliberate or negligent act or omission of the tenant, a member of his or her family, or other person 18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | on the premises with his or her consent. 19 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC003149 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2024. 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | ======== |
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| 46 | 46 | | LC003149 |
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| 47 | 47 | | ======== |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | LC003149 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 51 | 51 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 52 | 52 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 53 | 53 | | OF |
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| 54 | 54 | | A N A C T |
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| 55 | 55 | | RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT |
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| 56 | 56 | | *** |
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| 57 | 57 | | This act would increase the amount of costs for repairs that a tenant may deduct from the 1 |
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| 58 | 58 | | tenants rent from one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) to five hundred dollars ($500) in the 2 |
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| 59 | 59 | | aggregate per year. 3 |
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| 60 | 60 | | This act would take effect on January 1, 2024. 4 |
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| 61 | 61 | | ======== |
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| 62 | 62 | | LC003149 |
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| 63 | 63 | | ======== |
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| 64 | 64 | | |
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