Defines squatter as a person occupying a dwelling unit who is not authorized by the property owner, landlord or tenant to occupy the unit and provides remedies for property owner including police assistance to remove a squatter.

Rhode Island Squatter Removal Bill – Plain English Summary

This bill addresses the issue of "squatters" — people who move into and occupy a home or other dwelling without permission from the property owner, landlord, or any authorized tenant. The bill creates a legal definition of a squatter in Rhode Island and establishes clear steps that property owners can take to remove someone who is occupying their property without authorization. Most notably, it would allow property owners to request direct assistance from police to remove a squatter, rather than being required to go through a lengthy court eviction process first.

Under current law, property owners in Rhode Island can face a complicated and time-consuming legal process to remove unauthorized occupants, even when someone has no legitimate claim to be in the property. This bill is meant to simplify and speed up that process by treating squatting more clearly as a form of trespass, which is a criminal matter, rather than a landlord-tenant dispute that requires going through civil court.

This bill would primarily affect property owners — including individual homeowners and landlords — who find their property occupied by someone without permission. It would also affect law enforcement, who would be given a clearer role and authority to assist in removing squatters. People living in a property without authorization would face the possibility of more immediate removal with police involvement.

As of now, the bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island House and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which has scheduled it for further consideration. It has not yet been passed into law.