RI H8109

Landlords prohibited from evicting tenants without court order establishing "just cause," even when leases have expired or tenants have no written lease

Just cause grounds for eviction include: nonpayment of rent, substantial lease violations (with 10-day cure period), nuisance/property damage, illegal use of premises, or landlord's good-faith need to occupy the unit personally

Rent increases exceeding 4% or 1.5 times the regional Consumer Price Index annually create a rebuttable presumption of unreasonableness, protecting tenants from eviction for nonpayment of excessive rent hikes

Exemptions include: owner-occupied buildings with fewer than 5 units, landlords who own and manage 1-4 unit properties separate from their primary residence, and housing already subject to state/federal rent or eviction regulation

Tenants age 62 or older and disabled persons receive additional protection from landlord personal-use evictions; any lease provisions waiving these tenant rights are void