R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-37 § 34-37-4.6
Discrimination based on lawful source of income — Exemption
Operative Text
Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit an owner of a housing accommodation from refusing to rent to a person based on their lawful source of income if the housing accommodation is three (3) units or less, one of which is occupied by the owner.
Rhode Island's fair housing law (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-37 § 34-37-4.6) includes a specific exemption that allows small-property owners to decline rental applicants based on their source of income under defined circumstances. The exemption applies only when the property contains three units or fewer and the owner personally lives in one of those units. Outside of these conditions, the broader chapter's protections against source-of-income discrimination remain in effect.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-37 § 34-37-4.6, an owner-occupant of a property with three or fewer total units may lawfully decline applicants based on their source of income, such as housing vouchers or public assistance. Operators who qualify for this exemption typically document both their owner-occupancy status and the unit count of the property to establish that the exemption applies. Owners of properties that do not meet both criteria — three units or fewer and owner-occupancy — generally operate under the full source-of-income protections of chapter 34-37 and conduct their tenant selection accordingly.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-37 § 34-37-4.6 creates a narrow exemption to Rhode Island's source-of-income protections, meaning that not all landlords are required to accept all lawful income sources. If a prospective tenant believes a landlord who does not qualify for this exemption — because the property has more than three units or the owner does not live there — has improperly refused them based on income source, that may constitute a violation of chapter 34-37. Tenants in this situation can explore options such as filing a complaint with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for general information about available remedies.
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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