§ 34-37-5.5 — § 34-37-5.5. Freedom of condominium owners and apartment renters to display certain religious items.

Rhode Island § 34-37-5.5

• Jurisdiction: Rhode Island
• Title 34: Property
• Ch. 34-37: Rhode Island Fair Housing Practices Act

Text

§ 34-37-5.5. Freedom of condominium owners and apartment renters to display certain religious items.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, a landlord or owner, as defined in § 34-18-11; a management committee, as defined in § 34-36-3; or an association of unit owners, as defined in § 34-36.1-1.03 (hereinafter "property ownersâ€�); may not enforce or adopt a restrictive covenant or otherwise prohibit a unit owner or tenant from displaying or affixing on the entry to the unit owner's or tenant's dwelling one or more religious items, the display of which is motivated by the unit owner's or tenant's sincere religious belief.

(b) This section does not prohibit the enforcement or adoption of a covenant that, to the extent allowed by the constitutions of this state and the United States, prohibits the display or affixing of a religious item on the entry to the unit owner's or tenant's dwelling that:

(1) Threatens the public health or safety;

(2) Violates the provisions of chapter 37 of title 34 or any other state or federal law barring discrimination in housing, or any other law;

(3) Is in a location other than the entry door or door frame or extends past the outer edge of the door frame of the unit owner's or resident's dwelling; or

(4) Individually, or in combination with each other religious item displayed or affixed on the entry door or door frame, has a total size of greater than twenty-five (25) square inches.

(c) Except as otherwise provided, this section does not authorize a unit owner or tenant to use a material or color for an entry door or door frame of the owner's or resident's dwelling or make an alteration to the entry door or door frame that is not authorized by the restrictive covenant governing the dwelling.

(d) A property owner's association may remove an item displayed in violation of a restrictive covenant permitted by this section.

Legislative History

P.L. 2015, ch. 174, § 1; P.L. 2015, ch. 184, § 1.