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SB 2474

AN ACT RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT

2026 Regular Session Introduced by John Burke and 5 co-sponsors

Creates a statewide registry for rental properties built before 1978 to improve lead hazard mitigation and enforce compliance, with penalties for noncompliance.

04/30/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · SB 2474

Summary of Bill SB 2474 (Rhode Island, 2026) — An Act Relating to Property — Residential Landlord and Tenant Act

Purpose and Intent

  • Proposes updates to Rhode Island’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Chapter 34-18).
  • Primary aims:
    • Strengthen protections against retaliatory landlord actions.
    • Establish a statewide mandatory rental registry for certain older rental properties (built before 1978) to improve lead hazard mitigation and compliance oversight.
    • Enhance compliance requirements while limiting additional bureaucratic burdens on landlords.
    • Ensure prompt provision of lead-related documentation by the Department of Health (DOH).

Key Provisions and Changes

1) Retaliatory Conduct Prohibited (34-18-46, amended)

  • Landlords may not retaliate against a tenant by:
    • Increasing rent,
    • Decreasing services,
    • Initiating or threatening eviction for:
    • Complaining to a governmental agency about health/safety code violations,
    • Complaining to the landlord about violations,
    • Organizing or joining a tenants’ union or similar organization,
    • Exercising any other lawful rights/remedies.
  • Remedies: Tenants have a defense in retaliatory eviction actions and may pursue remedies under § 34-18-34.
  • Presumption: If a complaint is made within six months before the alleged retaliation, it creates a presumption of retaliation (unless the complaint occurred after notice of a proposed rent increase or service diminution).
  • Exceptions: Retaliatory action is not presumed if the violation was caused primarily by tenant fault, rent default, or if compliance with lead/housing actions would require demolition/remodeling with relocation already provided by the municipality.
  • Preservation of landlord liability: Even in retaliatory cases, landlords remain liable for other related obligations under § 34-18-28(b).

2) Statewide Mandatory Rental Registry (34-18-58, amended)

  • Coverage: Applies to all residential properties constructed before 1978 not exempt under lead hazard mitigation requirements (Chapter 128.1, Title 42).
  • Registry data (for each applicable property):
    • Landlord name(s), business entity or property management company, and contact information (address, email, phone).
    • Details of property managers/agents, including contact information.
    • Information identifying each dwelling unit.
  • Lead Hazard Compliance: For each unit, landlords must provide a valid Lead Hazard Certification/Conformance or evidence of exemption, as required by Chapter 128.1 of Title 42.
  • Online database (contingent on funding):
    • Creation of a publicly accessible online database (not public-facing in practice; access restricted) containing the registry data to be available to:
    • Tenants requesting information for their unit,
    • DOH, city/town authorities, Rhode Island judiciary, and other RI governmental agencies with a legitimate lead/code enforcement purpose.
  • Registration deadlines:
    • Existing affected landlords must register by October 1, 2024 (original timeline); proposed revised deadline in bill indicates 2026.
    • New landlords/acquisitions: must register within 30–60 days of property acquisition or lease to a new tenant.
    • Annual re-registration due by October 1 each year, unless no changes.
  • Penalties for noncompliance:
    • Civil fines: at least $50/month for failure to register information required in subsection (a); at least $125/month for failure to register the lead-conformance-related information in subsection (b).
    • Fines payable to DOH; proceeds deposited into a dedicated “rental registry account” to fund registry administration, lead hazard mitigation, enforcement, or related activities.
    • No penalties before October 1, 2024.
  • Eviction filing requirement:
    • Landlords may not file eviction for nonpayment of rent unless they are in compliance with the registry requirements (a, b, and d) at the time of filing, and must provide evidence of compliance to the court with the eviction filing.
  • Enforcement and penalties:
    • DOH can seek injunctive relief and civil penalties up to $50 per violation for repeated noncompliance with registry (a).
    • Attorney General can seek injunctive relief and penalties up to $1,000 per violation for repeated noncompliance with lead-conformance information (b).
    • Penalties used for lead hazard mitigation, enforcement, or administering the registry.
  • Cost relief for landlords:
    • Landlords may register free of charge.
  • DOH integrity and process:
    • DOH shall not add burdens beyond what’s specified.
    • Prompt issuance of lead documentation (e.g., lead conformance renewals) upon submission; renewals issued within seven days of submission, otherwise the landlord’s submission evidence suffices as proof of compliance.

Who Is Affected

  • Landlords of residential properties built before 1978 (subject to lead hazard mitigation requirements).
  • Tenants residing in these units.
  • Department of Health (DOH) and related state agencies for registry administration and enforcement.
  • Local governments (cities/towns) with access to registry data for enforcement and public health oversight.
  • The Rhode Island judiciary, which would have access to registry information for relevant cases.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective Date: Upon passage.
  • Lead-related registry implementation:
    • Initial information collection and registry setup contingent on available funding.
    • Initial/required registration for existing applicable properties by October 1, 2024 (as revised timelines suggest, with later implementation potentially 2026 per amendments). Annual re-registration due by October 1 each year, with exceptions if no changes.
  • Eviction process linkage: Eviction filings for nonpayment of rent require evidence of registry compliance at filing.
  • Penalties: Begin after October 1, 2024; interest/penalties apply monthly for ongoing noncompliance.
  • Documentation timelines: DOH to issue lead compliance documentation promptly (within 7 days of renewal submission) and accept visual affidavits for renewals.

Practical Impact and Considerations

  • For tenants: Strengthened protections against retaliatory actions; access to registry data for informed housing decisions (subject to privacy/limited access rules).
  • For landlords: New compliance obligations and potential penalties for noncompliance; upfront cost considerations but potential fee waivers.
  • Public health: Enhanced data collection for lead hazard mitigation and targeted enforcement.
  • Administrative: DOH burden to maintain a confidential database and enforce penalties; budget and staffing implications depending on funding.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with existing law and outline potential fiscal impacts or a FAQ for landlords and tenants.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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