S 3161Cities & Towns

Towns and Cities - Zoning Ordinances

This bill allows Rhode Island cities and towns to require private landlords to obtain student housing licenses.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Mar 27, 2026Committee Senate Housing & Municipal Government

Plain-English Summary

This bill allows cities and towns in Rhode Island to create ordinances that require private landlords to obtain a license if they rent their properties exclusively to college students. Under this legislation, municipalities can establish rules for yearly or periodic registration, conduct property inspections, and set up enforcement and appeal procedures. The licensing requirement applies only to private student housing and does not include college-owned dormitories, university-leased apartments, or government-subsidized housing programs.

For younger readers

This bill lets cities and towns make a new rule for people who own houses and rent them out only to college students. If a town makes this rule, the owners will need to get a special paper called a license to rent their house to students. The town can also check the houses to make sure they are safe and set rules on what happens if the owners do not follow the rules. This does not apply to regular college dorms or houses that get help from the government to keep rent low.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

College studentsPrivate landlordsMunicipal governmentsEducational institutionsProperty managers

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

Yes. Mandatory inspection requirements could violate the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches if the local ordinances do not require administrative warrants when a landlord or tenant refuses entry. Additionally, targeting properties exclusively based on the occupants' status as "students" may raise Equal Protection concerns under the Fourteenth Amendment, though courts often uphold such ordinances under rational basis review if tied to legitimate zoning interests.

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Empowers municipalities to mandate safety inspections for off-campus student housing, protecting young renters from predatory landlords and unsafe living conditions.
Strengthens local government oversight of the rental market, which can help track corporate ownership and maintain neighborhood community standards.
Exempts government-subsidized and rent-regulated housing, ensuring that low-income renters relying on housing vouchers are not negatively impacted or burdened by additional licensing fees.
Landlords may pass the costs of new licensing fees and inspections directly onto student renters, exacerbating the student debt crisis and making higher education less affordable.
Could incentivize landlords to refuse renting to students entirely to avoid the licensing requirements, leading to a shortage of available off-campus housing for young adults.
Wealthier municipalities might misuse the ordinance as an exclusionary zoning tool to restrict students from living in certain neighborhoods, harming community diversity.

For Conservatives

Grants municipalities local control to manage their own zoning and housing issues without imposing a top-down, statewide mandate on all cities and towns.
Allows local governments to protect traditional neighborhoods and property values from the disruptions, density, and noise often associated with student rental houses.
Provides towns with a mechanism to hold absentee landlords accountable for the upkeep and behavior of their properties, preserving local community standards.
Imposes unnecessary government red tape and burdensome regulations on private property owners who are simply trying to rent out their homes.
Creates a new avenue for local governments to extract revenue from landlords through licensing fees and mandatory inspection costs.
Violates free-market principles by targeting a specific demographic of renters, potentially discouraging real estate investment and limiting corporate freedom in the rental market.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 25 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 45-24 of the General Laws entitled "Zoning Ordinances" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 45-24-78. Student housing licensing.

(a) Definitions. When used in this section, the following words and phrases shall be given the following meanings:

(1) “Student” means an individual enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at any state college as defined in § 16-17.1-1 as well as any private university or college within the state. who commutes to a campus.

(2) “Student housing” means a dwelling unit inhabited exclusively by students.

(b) Authority.

(1) A municipality may, through ordinance, require private real property owners to obtain a license to operate a dwelling unit as student housing. An ordinance adopted pursuant to this section may include, but is not limited to:

(i) Annual or periodic licensing or registration requirements;

(ii) Inspection requirements;

(iii) Enforcement procedures; and

(iv) Administrative appeal procedures.

(1) This section shall apply to dwelling units located within the boundaries of the municipality enacting the ordinance.

(2) This section shall not apply to:

(i) Dormitories, residence halls, or other housing owned, operated, or directly controlled by an educational institution;

(ii) Dwelling units owned or leased by an educational institution; and

(iii) Dwelling units where rents are regulated under a federal, state, or local housing program limiting rent levels including, but not limited to, public housing or units rented through subsidies, vouchers or waiver programs.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.