WHAT THIS BILL REGULATES · 2 REQUIREMENT TYPES
How Is This Bill Enforced
Verbatim statutory text on the left; plain-language analysis and a per-section checklist on the right. Numbered markers cross-link to the matching checklist row.
(a) 1 No landlord or person shall use an algorithm, a commercial computer program or digital technology to include, but not be limited to, artificial intelligence technology to set or determine the rent for residential property subject to the provisions of this chapter.
(b) 2 No landlord or person shall use or share with another any information, data or rental information with the intent to stabilize rental pricing among rental units owned by different entities or engage in any act to set uniform rental rates or rent increases among landlords.
(c) Any action by a landlord or person in violation of subsections (a) or (b) of this section shall constitute a violation of the good faith requirements of § 34-18-12, shall be deemed unconscionable pursuant to the provisions of § 34-18-13 and shall be a deceptive trade practice pursuant to the provisions of chapter 13.1 of title 6 ("deceptive trade practices").
(d) Any person aggrieved as a result of a violation of the provisions of this section may pursue a civil action for both injunctive relief and compensatory damages. A prevailing plaintiff may be awarded treble damages, attorneys' fees and costs.
This section creates two distinct prohibitions within Rhode Island's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The first is a categorical ban on any landlord or person using an algorithm, commercial computer program, or AI technology to set or determine residential rent — a prohibition that applies even to a single landlord acting independently. The second targets coordinated conduct: sharing rental information with intent to stabilize pricing or set uniform rates among different landlords. Both prohibitions are backed by characterization as good-faith violations, unconscionable conduct, and deceptive trade practices under existing Rhode Island law, along with a dedicated private right of action offering treble damages, attorneys' fees, and costs.
The breadth of subsection (a) is notable — it does not limit the prohibition to multi-landlord coordination or anticompetitive use, meaning any algorithmic rent optimization tool, including a landlord's own proprietary pricing model, would be covered.