WHAT THIS BILL REGULATES · 1 REQUIREMENT TYPE
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) Definitions. For the purposes of this section: (1) "Algorithmic deviceAlgorithmic device"Algorithmic device" means a device, software, tool, or model that uses one or more computer-based algorithms, including machine learning or artificial intelligence, to perform calculations concerning local or statewide rent amounts, occupancy trends, or other rental market data for the primary purpose of advising, recommending, or determining the amount of rent a landlord may charge, including adjustments to existing rent, that is not widely publicly accessible.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(1)" means a device, software, tool, or model that uses one or more computer-based algorithms, including machine learning or artificial intelligence, to perform calculations concerning local or statewide rentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3) amounts, occupancy trends, or other rental market data for the primary purpose of advising, recommending, or determining the amount of rentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3) a landlord may charge, including adjustments to existing rentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3), that is not widely publicly accessible. (2) "Nonpublic competitor dataNonpublic competitor data"Nonpublic competitor data" means information that is derived from or about other landlords, renters, occupancy, or pricing that is not widely available to the general public, including but not limited to: (i) Actual current rent prices for specific properties, units, or landlords collected from nonpublic sources; (ii) Occupancy rates, lease start/end data, or historical rental performance data obtained from proprietary sources; (iii) Data licensed or shared among participants in a competitive rental marketplace.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(2)" means information that is derived from or about other landlords, renters, occupancy, or pricing that is not widely available to the general public, including but not limited to: (i) Actual current rentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3) prices for specific properties, units, or landlords collected from nonpublic sources; (ii) Occupancy rates, lease start/end data, or historical rental performance data obtained from proprietary sources; (iii) Data licensed or shared among participants in a competitive rental marketplace. (3) "RentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3)" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.
(b)(1) 1 Prohibition. Effective January 1, 2027, no landlord, property owner, property manager, agent, or person acting on their behalf shall: (1) Employ, use, knowingly rely upon, or cause another to employ, use, or rely upon an algorithmic deviceAlgorithmic device"Algorithmic device" means a device, software, tool, or model that uses one or more computer-based algorithms, including machine learning or artificial intelligence, to perform calculations concerning local or statewide rent amounts, occupancy trends, or other rental market data for the primary purpose of advising, recommending, or determining the amount of rent a landlord may charge, including adjustments to existing rent, that is not widely publicly accessible.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(1) that incorporates, uses, or was trained using nonpublic competitor dataNonpublic competitor data"Nonpublic competitor data" means information that is derived from or about other landlords, renters, occupancy, or pricing that is not widely available to the general public, including but not limited to: (i) Actual current rent prices for specific properties, units, or landlords collected from nonpublic sources; (ii) Occupancy rates, lease start/end data, or historical rental performance data obtained from proprietary sources; (iii) Data licensed or shared among participants in a competitive rental marketplace.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(2) for the purpose of determining, fixing, or suggesting the amount of rentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3) to be charged to a residential tenant;
(b)(2) 2 Use an algorithmic deviceAlgorithmic device"Algorithmic device" means a device, software, tool, or model that uses one or more computer-based algorithms, including machine learning or artificial intelligence, to perform calculations concerning local or statewide rent amounts, occupancy trends, or other rental market data for the primary purpose of advising, recommending, or determining the amount of rent a landlord may charge, including adjustments to existing rent, that is not widely publicly accessible.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(1) to determine any change in rentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3) for a renewed lease term or rentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3) adjustment for an existing residential tenant.
(c) Exemptions. This section does not apply to: (1) RentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3) or income limits established by federal, state, or local housing programs where algorithmic tools are used solely to comply with program guidelines; (2) Tools that produce only historical reporting of aggregate market data published no more frequently than monthly, provided no individualized rentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3) recommendations are made; (3) Bona fide internal record-keeping or accounting systems that do not influence or set rentRent"Rent" means the total consideration, fees, or charges a residential tenant is required to pay for occupancy of a residential premises under any rental agreement, including concessions.R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-63(a)(3) amounts.
(d) Enforcement and remedies. (1) Violations of this section shall be deemed an unfair or deceptive act or practice under chapter 13.1 of title 6 ("deceptive trade practices"). (2) The Rhode Island attorney general, or any person aggrieved by a violation, may seek relief including equitable relief and civil penalties, as appropriate, under § 6-13.1-5 et seq. (3) The attorney general may promulgate regulations necessary for enforcement of this section, including definitions, exemptions, recordkeeping requirements, and compliance processes.
(e) Severability. Should any provision of this section be held invalid, the remainder shall remain in full force and effect.
This section creates a two-pronged prohibition on algorithmic rent-setting in the residential rental market. The first prong targets the use of algorithmic devices that incorporate nonpublic competitor data — proprietary pricing, occupancy, and lease data shared among competing landlords — to set, fix, or suggest rent amounts. The second prong is broader: it prohibits using any algorithmic device, regardless of data source, to determine rent changes for lease renewals or rent adjustments for existing tenants.
Three narrow exemptions preserve the use of algorithmic tools for government housing program compliance, aggregate historical market reporting without individualized recommendations, and bona fide internal recordkeeping. Enforcement is channeled through Rhode Island's existing deceptive trade practices framework, giving both the attorney general and aggrieved tenants standing to seek equitable relief and civil penalties.