Rhode Island Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
Rhode Island rules on section 8, records & right to counsel for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Yes, statewide. Refusing to rent, or inquiring about, 'lawful source of income' is an unlawful housing practice. R.I. Gen. Laws 34-37-4(a); 34-37-3(18)
The rules in Rhode Island
| Statewide ban on refusing Section 8 / source of income | Yes, statewide. Refusing to rent, or inquiring about, 'lawful source of income' is an unlawful housing practice. Lawful source of income includes child support, alimony, Social Security, SSI, other public assistance, and any federal, state or local rental assistance or housing subsidy, including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and any requirement associated with those programs. Definition at http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE34/34-37/34-37-3.htm. The Act also bars inquiries about domestic abuse victim status and housing status. |
|---|---|
| Eviction record sealing | Yes, by motion. Any party may move to seal an eviction case (nonpayment, noncompliance or holdover) at least 30 days after the appeal period ends. The court must seal if the case was dismissed on a motion to dismiss, was resolved by a stipulation whose terms were satisfied, any money judgment against the moving party was paid in full, or the case was dismissed for lack of prosecution after 5 years; the mover must have notified all parties, and only one sealing request is allowed per 5 years. Not automatic. Effective January 1, 2024 (P.L. 2023, ch. 362). Source: R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-60 |
| Right to a lawyer in eviction | No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases. Source: R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 |
Related questions
- Can a landlord refuse Section 8?
- Can an eviction be removed from your record?
- Do tenants get a free lawyer for an eviction?
Rhode Island vs. neighboring states
| State | Statewide ban on refusing Section 8 / source of income | Eviction record sealing | Right to a lawyer in eviction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Yes, statewide. Refusing to rent, or inquiring about, 'lawful source of income' is an unlawful housing practice. Lawful source of income includes child support, alimony, Social Security, SSI, other public assistance, and any federal, state or local rental assistance or housing subsidy, including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and any requirement associated with those programs. R.I. Gen. Laws 34-37-4(a); 34-37-3(18) | Yes, by motion. Any party may move to seal an eviction case (nonpayment, noncompliance or holdover) at least 30 days after the appeal period ends. The court must seal if the case was dismissed on a motion to dismiss, was resolved by a stipulation whose terms were satisfied, any money judgment against the moving party was paid in full, or the case was dismissed for lack of prosecution after 5 years; the mover must have notified all parties, and only one sealing request is allowed per 5 years. Not automatic. R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-60 | No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases. R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 |
| Connecticut | Yes. It is a discriminatory housing practice to refuse to rent to someone, or to treat them differently in rental terms or advertising, because of their 'lawful source of income.' This means income from Social Security, SSI, housing assistance (which includes vouchers), child support, alimony, or public or state-administered general assistance. A landlord may still deny solely for insufficient income. Exempt: renting rooms in an owner-occupied single-family home, and units in an owner-occupied two-family dwelling. Violation is a class D misdemeanor. Complaints go to the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46a-64c(a), (b)(1), (b)(5), (c); 46a-63(3) | Partial: records are automatically removed from the court website, not sealed. Within 30 days after an eviction case is withdrawn, dismissed or nonsuited on any grounds, or ends in a final judgment for the tenant, the Judicial Branch must remove the case and identifying information from its website. The removal applies to cases disposed of before or after July 1, 2024. Removed records may not be included in bulk sales of court records. No person may disclose them for a commercial purpose, including tenant screening and consumer reports. Cases that end in a judgment for the landlord are not removed. If there is later activity or an appeal, the case is restored and stays online until 30 days after final disposition. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-26j | Yes, a statewide right-to-counsel program, limited by available funding. Income-eligible tenants and occupants get free legal representation in matters started on or after July 1, 2021: notices to quit, eviction cases, and administrative proceedings to keep a housing subsidy or stop a lease termination. Income-eligible means household income at or below 80% of state median income, or receiving TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, refugee resettlement benefits, state rental assistance, or a Housing Choice Voucher. The program is phased in by priority criteria and funding. It does not create a right a tenant can enforce against the providers. Since October 1, 2021, landlords must attach the Judicial Branch's one-page right-to-counsel notice to every notice to quit, eviction summons and complaint, subsidized-housing lease termination notice, and subsidy termination notice. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-75 |
| Massachusetts | Yes. It is unlawful to discriminate against a recipient of public assistance or a tenant receiving housing subsidies, including rental assistance or rental supplements, because of that status or because of any requirement of the assistance or subsidy program. This covers Section 8 and MRVP. G.L. c. 151B, § 4(10) | Yes, by petition on a trial-court form signed under penalty of perjury. No-fault evictions: the court must seal at any time after the case ends and appeals are exhausted. Cases dismissed or won by the tenant: may be sealed at any time, without notice to the other parties. Nonpayment cases: must be sealed if the case ended at least 4 years earlier, there have been no nonpayment or lessor actions against the petitioner in those 4 years, and the petitioner certifies the nonpayment was due to economic hardship. Fault cases: must be sealed after 7 years with no new fault or lessor actions. Consumer reporting agencies may not report sealed records and must remove them within 30 days. Rental applications that ask about evictions must state that an applicant with a sealed record may answer 'no record'. G.L. c. 239, § 16 | No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases found in G.L. c. 239. The trial court must report monthly how many landlords and tenants received legal representation through on-site court diversion programs. G.L. c. 239, § 15(c)(ix) |
City rules that may add to state law
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Compare section 8, records & right to counsel in all 50 states and DC →
Rhode Island Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel FAQ
Is it illegal for a landlord to refuse Section 8 vouchers in Rhode Island?
Yes, statewide. Refusing to rent, or inquiring about, 'lawful source of income' is an unlawful housing practice. Lawful source of income includes child support, alimony, Social Security, SSI, other public assistance, and any federal, state or local rental assistance or housing subsidy, including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and any requirement associated with those programs. (R.I. Gen. Laws 34-37-4(a); 34-37-3(18))
Can an eviction record be sealed or removed in Rhode Island?
Yes, by motion. Any party may move to seal an eviction case (nonpayment, noncompliance or holdover) at least 30 days after the appeal period ends. The court must seal if the case was dismissed on a motion to dismiss, was resolved by a stipulation whose terms were satisfied, any money judgment against the moving party was paid in full, or the case was dismissed for lack of prosecution after 5 years; the mover must have notified all parties, and only one sealing request is allowed per 5 years. Not automatic. (R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-60)
Do tenants have a right to a free lawyer in eviction cases in Rhode Island?
No statewide right to counsel in eviction cases. (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.