R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 § 34-18-31
Wrongful failure to supply heat, water, hot water, or essential services
Operative Text
(a) If, contrary to the rental agreement or § 34-18-22, the landlord willfully or negligently fails to supply heat, running water, hot water, electric, gas, or other essential service, the tenant may give reasonable notice to the landlord specifying the breach and may: (1) Take reasonable and appropriate measures to secure reasonable amounts of heat, running water, hot water, electric, gas, and other essential service during the period of the landlord's noncompliance and deduct their actual and reasonable costs from the periodic rent; or (2) Recover damages based upon the diminution in the fair rental value of the dwelling unit; or (3) Procure reasonable substitute housing during the period of the landlord's noncompliance, in which case the tenant is excused from paying rent for the period of the landlord's noncompliance. (b) In addition to the remedy provided in subsection (a)(3) of this section, the tenant may recover the actual and reasonable cost or fair and reasonable value of the substitute housing not in excess of an amount equal to the periodic rent, and in any case under subsection (a) of this section, may recover reasonable attorney's fees. (c) If the tenant proceeds under this section, he or she may not proceed under § 34-18-28 or § 34-18-30 as to that breach. (d) Rights of the tenant under this section do not arise until he or she has given notice to the landlord, nor does this section apply if the condition was caused by the deliberate or negligent act or omission of the tenant, a member of his or her family, or other person on the premises with his or her consent.
Rhode Island General Laws § 34-18-31 addresses situations where a landlord willfully or negligently cuts off or fails to provide essential services — such as heat, running water, hot water, electricity, or gas — in violation of the rental agreement or the statutory habitability requirements of § 34-18-22. When this occurs, the law gives tenants a set of remedies after providing reasonable notice to the landlord: they may arrange and pay for the services themselves and deduct those costs from rent, seek damages reflecting the reduced rental value of the unit, or find substitute housing and be excused from paying rent during the period of noncompliance. Recovery of reasonable attorney's fees is also available, but these remedies cannot be combined with certain other statutory remedies for the same breach.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 34-18-31, property owners and managers in Rhode Island are generally expected to maintain uninterrupted access to essential services — heat, running water, hot water, electricity, and gas — as required by the rental agreement and the habitability standards of § 34-18-22. Compliant operators typically have systems in place to promptly address service interruptions, respond to tenant notices without delay, and document any outages caused by third-party utility providers or circumstances outside their control. When a landlord receives a tenant's written notice of a service failure, acting quickly to restore service is the clearest way to limit exposure to the range of financial remedies the statute authorizes, including rent deductions, diminished-value damages, substitute housing costs, and attorney's fees.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Rhode Island General Laws § 34-18-31 outlines specific rights available to tenants when a landlord willfully or negligently fails to provide essential services like heat, hot water, or electricity. Before any of these rights are triggered, a tenant must first give the landlord reasonable notice describing the problem — and the provision does not apply if the service failure was caused by the tenant, a household member, or a guest. Tenants who believe their landlord has violated § 34-18-31 may want to explore options such as contacting a local tenant-rights organization, consulting with a housing attorney, or reviewing how this provision interacts with other remedies under Rhode Island law, keeping in mind that choosing this section's remedies means forgoing certain other statutory remedies for the same breach.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
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