R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-37 § 34-37-4.2
Exemptions — Religious organizations and private clubs
Operative Text
(a) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a religious organization, association, or society or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society from limiting the sale, rental, or occupancy of a dwelling which it owns or operates for other than commercial purposes to persons of the same religion or from giving preference to those persons unless membership in the religion is restricted on account of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, or national origin or disability. Nor shall anything in this chapter prohibit a private club not in fact open to the public which as an incident to its primary purpose or purposes provides lodgings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose from limiting the rental or occupancy of the lodgings to its members or from giving preference to its members. (b) Nothing in this chapter limits the applicability of any reasonable local, state, or federal restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling.
Rhode Island General Laws § 34-37-4.2 carves out two narrow exemptions from the state's fair housing requirements. First, religious organizations and nonprofits they control may restrict or prefer tenants of their own faith in non-commercially operated dwellings, provided that membership in the religion is not itself restricted based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national origin, or disability. Second, private clubs that are genuinely closed to the general public may limit lodging in their non-commercially operated facilities to their own members. Separately, the provision makes clear that lawful occupancy-limit regulations at the local, state, or federal level remain fully in effect and are not overridden by this chapter.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners affiliated with religious organizations or private clubs should understand that § 34-37-4.2 sets strict conditions on when a preference or restriction based on religious membership or club membership is permissible. A compliant religious-organization operator ensures that the dwelling is not operated for commercial purposes and that the religion's own membership criteria do not exclude people on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national origin, or disability. Operators also remain bound by all applicable occupancy-limit rules from local, state, or federal authorities, which § 34-37-4.2(b) explicitly preserves.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants who believe they have been denied housing or given less favorable treatment by a religious organization or private club should be aware that § 34-37-4.2 defines the exemptions narrowly — they apply only to non-commercially operated dwellings and do not permit exclusions rooted in sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national origin, or disability. If a tenant believes a landlord is invoking this exemption improperly, Rhode Island's fair housing framework under Chapter 34-37 still provides avenues for raising a complaint, including contacting a tenant-rights organization or a fair housing agency. Tenants may also find it useful to document the circumstances of any denial or differential treatment in case they choose to pursue a formal complaint.
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.
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