PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced a lawsuit against a national real estate management corporation for alleged illegal application fees and discriminatory practices against potential renters with disabilities. A.R. Building Company, Inc., which owns properties throughout Rhode Island, is alleged to have violated the state’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA). The company is accused of assessing illegal application fees, sometimes repeatedly for the same prospective tenant and administering an “arduous application process for those seeking reasonable accommodations for disabilities.” The Attorney General’s office is seeking both civil penalties and injunctive relief, as well as requiring the company to discontinue its alleged unlawful practices and to return unlawfully charged fees to prospective renters. In early 2024, the company’s Dowling Village North Smithfield property wouldn’t allow a prospective tenant to submit an application without a $250 administrative fee and a $30 screening fee, according to the AG’s office. This alleged act ignored the recently enacted Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. The prospective tenant was rejected on the basis of insufficient income and was told she would need a co-signer. She applied to the property a second time with a co-signer, and was again charged both fees. She was rejected again, with the property citing credit reasons. A.R. Building Company settled a lawsuit brought by Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry “regarding its alleged unlawful billing, leasing and debt collection practices.” Categories: News