Rhode Island tenant screening laws

A landlord, broker, property manager or anyone acting for them may not require a prospective tenant to pay a rental application fee. You may require an official state criminal background check or a credit check, but if the applicant provides one issued within the last 90 days you may not charge for it. If the applicant does not, you may charge no more than the actual cost of obtaining it, and you must give the applicant a copy (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-59; R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-62; R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4).

• You may always run your own background check or credit report at your own expense (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-59(b)(3)).
• The official state criminal background check can come from the Bureau of Criminal Identification, the Attorney General, the state police or the local police where the applicant lives (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-59(b)).
• Since July 2, 2025, a landlord may not ask about, or require any statement about, the immigration or citizenship status of a tenant, applicant or occupant. You may still ask for what you need to verify an applicant's identity or finances, or to meet a federal legal duty (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-62).
• You may ask whether an applicant is 18 or older and confirm the source, amount and expected duration of a lawful source of income, but not ask about any protected characteristic (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4(a)).
• A minimum income requirement must be measured only against the part of the rent the tenant will pay, counting any rental assistance or housing subsidy (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4(c)).

Rhode Island bars housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, lawful source of income, status as a servicemember or as a veteran with an honorable or general discharge, country of ancestral origin, disability, age, familial status, or being a victim of domestic abuse or having sought a protective order. That covers refusing to rent, different terms or services, discriminatory ads, and misrepresenting availability (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-2; R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4).

• Lawful source of income includes child support, alimony, Social Security, public assistance and rental assistance such as Section 8 vouchers. An owner-occupied building of three units or fewer is exempt from the source of income rule (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-3(18); R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4.6).
• Allow reasonable modifications at the tenant's expense and make reasonable accommodations in rules and services for a person with a disability. A trained assistance animal may not be charged extra, though the tenant is liable for damage it causes (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4(d), (e)).
• The familial status rule does not apply to a two-unit owner-occupied building, some owner-occupied buildings of four units or fewer, and qualifying housing for older persons (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4.1).
• A person renting out part of a home they will share may choose a housemate of a particular gender (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4(k)).
• Retaliating against anyone who opposes discrimination or takes part in a complaint is prohibited (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4(m)).