Rhode Island Lease Agreement

Required Landlord Disclosures (4)

Tenants must sign many forms alongside the lease agreement. These additional forms (disclosures) alert tenants to potential health and safety hazards and who to contact for property-related issues.

Rhode Island has four required landlord disclosures, including:

1. Lead Paint: Federal law requires landlords to inform tenants about any lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards that may exist in properties constructed before 1978.

2. Landlord Identification: The landlord must provide the tenant with the names and information of anyone managing the property (§ 34-18-20(a)).

3. Housing Code Violation: Landlords must notify tenants about any housing code violations within 30 days (§ 34-18-22.1)

4. Nonresident Landlord Notice: All nonresident landlords must designate a local agent for notice of process, demand, and/or notice of housing code violations. Such notice shall include the name and address of the resident agent and the referenced property address (34-18-22.3)

Security Deposit Regulations

Maximum Security Deposit Amount: Rhode Island security deposits cannot exceed one month’s rent (§ 34-18-19(a)).

Receipt of Deposit: Landlords are not required to provide tenants with a security deposit receipt.

Deduction Tracking: Rhode Island landlords have 20 days to send tenants a list of expenses and receipts for deductions from the tenant’s security deposit (§ 34-18-19(b)).

Returning a Tenant’s Security Deposit: A landlord must return a security deposit (less any qualifying deductions beyond expenses for everyday wear and tear) to a Rhode Island tenant within 20 days after the tenant moves out (§ 34-18-19(b)).

Landlord’s Access to Property

Advance Notice: Rhode Island landlords must give two days’ notice to enter a property for maintenance, inspections, showings, and other general reasons (§ 34-18-26(c)).

Immediate Access: If the tenant abandons the property, landlords don’t need to provide notice in an emergency. The same applies if the tenant is away from the property for more than 7 days and something on the property needs attention (§ 34-18-26(b)).

Landlord Harassment: Rhode Island landlord-tenant laws prevent landlords from harassing tenants by providing adequate notice. Repeat offenses could allow tenants to break a lease early (§ 34-18-26(c)).

Rent Payment Laws

Grace Period: Tenants have a 15-day grace period to pay rent in Rhode Island (§ 34-18-35(a)).

Late Rent Fees: Since there is no law regarding late fees for paying rent past the grace period, landlords can charge late fees at their discretion and as laid out in the rental agreement.

Tenant’s Right to Withhold Rent: In Rhode Island, tenants have the right to withhold rent payments if the landlord does not take care of an essential repair service valued at $500 or less. To do so, they must notify the landlord in writing that they will take care of the repair on the landlord’s dime if it remains unaddressed within 20 days. An itemized list of expenses is required to deduct the amount from rent (§ 34-18-30(a)).

Breach of Rental Agreement

Missed Rent Payment: The landlord can give the tenant a 5-day notice to quit if rent is unpaid within the grace period (§ 34-18-35(a)).

Lease Violation: Rhode Island landlords can send tenants a written notice about the violation, specifying that they must correct the breach within 20 days, or the rental agreement will end (§ 34-18-36(a)).

Self-Help Evictions: Rhode Island law strictly prohibits self-help evictions  (§ 34-18-44).

Lease Abandonment: A Rhode Island tenant could be responsible for rent for the remainder of the term or until the landlord finds someone else to move in, whichever comes first (§ 34-18-40).

Ending a Lease

Month-to-Month: Rhode Island landlords and tenants must provide a minimum of 30 days’ written notice to terminate a month-to-month rental agreement (§ 34-18-37(b)).

Fixed-Term: Rhode Island tenants can break a lease early if they are 65+ and have been admitted into an assisted living facility, are joining the military, or have received military orders (§ 34-18-15).

Property Abandonment: If a tenant leaves personal property behind, the landlord can relocate and store the property, charging the tenant for the transportation and storage fees (§ 34-18-50).

Renewing a Lease

Required Renewals: Rhode Island landlords are not required to allow tenants to renew their rental agreements. However, fixed-term leases of one year or more generally convert to a month-to-month lease after the initial lease term terminates unless three months’ notice has been given (§ 34-18-37(c)).

Required Notice: Rhode Island landlords must give 30 days’ notice if they choose not to renew a month-to-month lease or three months’ notice for a year lease (§ 34-18-37).

Rent Control & Stabilization

Rent control and stabilization do not exist at the state level in Rhode Island. However, local ordinances may have rent caps.