2015 -- S 0430

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LC001456

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT

     

     Introduced By: Senators Ciccone, Felag, Lombardi, Jabour, and Doyle

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 34-18-40 of the General Laws in Chapter 34-18 entitled

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"Residential Landlord and Tenant Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     34-18-40. Remedies for abandonment. – (a) If the tenant abandons the dwelling unit,

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the landlord shall send a certified letter, return receipt requested, to the tenant's last known

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address giving notice that unless a reply is received from the tenant within seven (7) days, the

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landlord shall re-rent the premises. If the notice is returned as undeliverable, or the tenant fails to

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contact the landlord within seven (7) days, the landlord shall make reasonable efforts to rent the

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premises at a fair rental. If the landlord rents the dwelling unit for a term beginning before the

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expiration of the rental agreement, the tenancy terminates as of the date of the new tenancy. If the

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landlord fails to use reasonable efforts to rent the dwelling unit at fair rental, or if the landlord

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accepts the abandonment as a surrender, the rental agreement is deemed to be terminated by the

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landlord as of the date the landlord has notice of the abandonment.

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     (b) Whenever an abandonment occurs, the tenant may recover any personal property left

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behind in the dwelling unit by removing or paying the moving and storage costs within the time

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set forth in the seven (7) day notice provision of subsection (a) of this section. Failure of the

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tenant to remove said personal property shall authorize the landlord to remove and place it in

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storage for a period of thirty (30) days.

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     (c) The landlord shall not be liable for any moving and/or storage costs relating to the

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removal or storage of the tenant's personal property (the "property"). If the tenant fails to secure

 

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the release of said property within thirty (30) days, the storage company may dispose of said

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property as it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, sale or other auction. In the event

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the storage company sells, auctions, or otherwise disposes of said property in a manner which

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produces income in excess of the costs of storage, the storage company shall be entitled to retain

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such funds, except that any costs for moving the property pursuant to this section shall be paid.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PROPERTY -- RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD AND TENANT ACT

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     This act would set forth a process for tenants to retrieve their abandoned personal

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property from former dwelling units and the placement in storage of a tenant's personal property.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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