Free Rhode Island Lease & Rental Agreement

Last updated September 27, 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Rhode Island Residential Lease Agreement

A Rhode Island residential lease (also called a Rhode Island rental agreement) sets the rent, term and house rules for a home rental. A Rhode Island residential lease agreement is governed by the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-1 et seq. Rhode Island caps security deposits at one month’s rent, requires 60 days’ notice before any rent increase (120 days for month-to-month tenants over 62), and bans rental application fees.

Rhode Island landlord–tenant law at a glance

Rhode Island residential lease law summary
Security deposit limit	1 month’s rent (plus an optional furniture deposit for qualifying furnished units)R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19(a)
Deposit return	20 days after the later of termination, delivery of possession, or a forwarding addressR.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19(b)
Late fees	No statutory cap; all fees must be disclosed in the lease’s rent sectionR.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-15
Application fees	Banned; only the actual cost of a credit or background checkR.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-59
Rent-increase notice	60 days; 120 days for month-to-month tenants over 62R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-16.1
Landlord entry	2 days’ notice, at reasonable timesR.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-26(c)
Month-to-month termination	30 days’ written noticeR.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-37
Nonpayment eviction notice	After rent is 15 days in arrears: 5-day demand to cureR.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-35

Security deposits in Rhode Island

A Rhode Island landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit, however it’s labeled, of more than one month’s periodic rent (R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19(a)). A lease can’t waive any part of the deposit statute (§34-18-19(h)).

Furniture deposit — For a furnished unit whose furniture has a replacement value of at least $5,000 when the lease is signed, the landlord may take a separate furniture deposit of up to one month’s rent, handled on the same 20-day timeline (§34-18-19(e)–(f)).
Allowed deductions — Unpaid rent, reasonable cleaning and trash-disposal costs, and physical damage beyond ordinary wear and tear (§34-18-19(b)).
20-day deadline — The landlord must deliver an itemized notice of deductions with the balance within 20 days after the later of termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, or the tenant providing a forwarding address (§34-18-19(b)).
Penalty — A landlord who doesn’t comply owes the amount due plus twice the amount wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorney’s fees (§34-18-19(c)).
Sale of the property — Whoever holds the landlord’s interest when the tenancy ends is bound by the deposit rules (§34-18-19(g)).

Rent, fees & rent increases

Rent is payable without demand or notice at the time and place agreed (R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-15). Rhode Island has tightened its fee rules considerably since 2024, and has no rent control.

Fee disclosure — Any fee beyond rent must be disclosed in writing in the same section of the lease as the rent, and any change to a required fee needs 30 days’ written notice. The lease must also say which utilities are included in rent and state any renters-insurance requirement (§34-18-15).
Late fees — Rhode Island has no statutory cap on late fees, but a late fee is a fee and must be disclosed alongside the rent. An excessive fee risks being struck as an unenforceable penalty.
Convenience fees — Since January 1, 2025, a landlord can’t charge a convenience fee for a particular payment method — card, app or check — unless the landlord also accepts a form of payment with no fee (§34-18-61).
Application fees — Rental application fees are banned. A landlord may charge only the actual cost of a required state criminal background check or credit report — and nothing if the applicant supplies one issued within the past 90 days — and must give the applicant a copy (§34-18-59).
Rent-increase notice — Any rent increase needs at least 60 days’ written notice; month-to-month tenants over age 62 are entitled to 120 days (§34-18-16.1, as amended June 2024). A 30-day notice is no longer enough.

Landlord entry & access

Except in an emergency or where it’s impracticable, a Rhode Island landlord must give the tenant at least two days’ notice of the intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times (R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-26(c)). That’s longer than the 24 hours most states require.

The landlord may enter without consent in an emergency, or during a tenant absence of more than seven days if reasonably necessary to protect the property (§34-18-26(b)). The tenant can’t unreasonably refuse entry to inspect, repair, supply services or show the unit (§34-18-26(a)), and the landlord can’t abuse the right of access to harass the tenant.

Ending a Rhode Island tenancy

Notice to end a Rhode Island periodic tenancy (R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-37)
Week-to-week	10 days
Month-to-month (or other period under a year)	30 days
Year-to-year	3 months before the end of the occupation year

Nonpayment of rent — Once any rent is 15 days in arrears, the landlord sends a written demand in the statutory form; the tenancy terminates unless the tenant pays the arrears within 5 days of mailing (§34-18-35).
Lease violations — A written notice specifying the breach and the cure, giving the tenant 20 days from mailing to remedy it and setting a termination date at least 21 days after mailing (§34-18-36).
Seniors — A tenant aged 65 or older may end the lease to move into assisted living or elderly housing; termination takes effect no earlier than 45 days after the first rent due date following written notice (§34-18-15(e)).
Military — A servicemember who enters service or receives orders for a permanent change of station or deployment of 90+ days may end the lease with written notice and a copy of the orders; a monthly lease ends 30 days after the next rent due date (§34-18-15(f)).
Survivors of abuse — Under the Survivor Early Lease Termination Act (2026 S 2291 / H 7199, signed June 18, 2026), a tenant who is a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking may end the lease early by written notice with qualifying documentation and a move-out date within 30 days, without early-termination penalties.

Required disclosures in Rhode Island

Owner / manager identity — At or before the start of the tenancy, the name and contact details of the property manager and of an owner or agent for service of process (R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-20).
Housing-code violations — Before signing, the landlord must tell a prospective tenant about any outstanding minimum-housing-code violations on the building, and must copy tenants on any new violation notice within 30 days unless it’s corrected (§34-18-22.1).
Fees, utilities & insurance — Fees disclosed in the rent section, which utilities are included, and any renters-insurance requirement (§34-18-15).
Lead hazards — Most rentals built before 1978 need a Certificate of Lead Conformance under the Lead Hazard Mitigation Act (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 42-128.1), on top of the federal lead warning and known-hazard disclosure (42 U.S.C. §4852d).

Habitability & repairs

A Rhode Island landlord must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety, make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable, keep electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning facilities and supplied appliances in good working order, and supply running water, reasonable hot water and reasonable heat (R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-22). The parties may agree in writing that the tenant handles specified repairs, but not work needed to cure code violations.

Tenant protections you can’t waive

Prohibited lease terms — A lease can’t make the tenant waive rights under the Act, confess judgment, pay the landlord’s attorney’s fees except as the Act allows, or exculpate or indemnify the landlord for liability imposed by law. A landlord who deliberately uses such terms can owe actual damages plus up to three months’ rent and attorney’s fees (§34-18-17).
No lockouts — Unlawfully removing or excluding a tenant, or cutting essential services, costs the landlord three months’ rent or three times actual damages, whichever is greater, plus attorney’s fees (§34-18-34).
No retaliation — A landlord can’t raise rent, cut services or bring an eviction because a tenant complained to a code agency, complained about habitability, or joined a tenants’ union; a complaint within six months before the landlord’s action creates a presumption of retaliation (§34-18-46).
Deposit rules — The one-month cap and 20-day return rule can’t be waived by the lease (§34-18-19(h)).

Rhode Island lease agreement FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Rhode Island?

No more than one month’s periodic rent. The only exception is a separate furniture deposit, also capped at one month’s rent, for a furnished unit whose furniture is worth $5,000 or more (R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19).

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Rhode Island?

20 days after the later of the tenancy ending, the tenant moving out, or the tenant giving a forwarding address — with an itemized notice of deductions. A landlord who doesn’t comply owes twice the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney’s fees (§34-18-19(b)–(c)).

How much notice is required for a rent increase in Rhode Island?

At least 60 days’ written notice for any residential tenancy, and 120 days for month-to-month tenants over age 62 (R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-16.1, amended June 2024).

Can a Rhode Island landlord charge an application fee?

No. Since January 1, 2024, rental application fees are banned. A landlord may pass on only the actual cost of a required credit report or state background check, and can’t charge even that if the applicant provides one issued within the last 90 days (§34-18-59).

How much notice does a Rhode Island landlord need to enter?

At least two days’ notice, and entry only at reasonable times — unless there’s an emergency, or the tenant has been away more than seven days and entry is needed to protect the property (§34-18-26).

What notice is required to evict for nonpayment in Rhode Island?

Once rent is 15 days in arrears, the landlord sends a 5-day demand notice; if the tenant pays everything owed within 5 days of mailing, the tenancy continues (§34-18-35).

How much notice to end a month-to-month lease in Rhode Island?

Thirty days’ written notice from either side. Week-to-week tenancies need 10 days, and year-to-year tenancies need three months before the end of the occupation year (§34-18-37).

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