Requires landlords to provide a receipt upon receiving a cash payment for rent from a tenant.

Rhode Island Bill Summary: Cash Rent Receipts Requirement

This bill would require landlords in Rhode Island to give their tenants a written receipt whenever a tenant pays rent in cash. The receipt would serve as official documentation that the payment was made and received.

The bill primarily affects two groups of people: tenants who pay their rent in cash and the landlords who accept those payments. For tenants, this provides important protection because a receipt creates a paper trail proving they paid their rent on time and in full. Without a receipt, a cash payment can be difficult or impossible to prove, which could leave a tenant vulnerable in a dispute over unpaid rent. For landlords, the bill creates a new responsibility to document cash transactions, though it also gives them their own record of payments received.

This type of requirement is particularly relevant for renters who do not have bank accounts or who prefer to pay in cash, as these individuals currently have fewer built-in protections compared to tenants who pay by check or electronic transfer, which automatically generate payment records. By requiring receipts, the bill aims to make cash rental transactions more transparent and to give both parties clearer documentation if any disagreement arises.

The bill has been introduced and sent to the House Judiciary Committee, where lawmakers will review it before deciding whether to move it forward for a vote.