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Free Rhode Island Security
Deposit Return Letter Template

Last reviewed September 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Rhode Island Security Deposit Return Letter

When a tenancy ends, a Rhode Island landlord has a set time to return the deposit or send an itemized list of deductions. Here’s what Rhode Island’s statute says.

Rhode Island rules at a glance

Rhode Island rules for a Security Deposit Return Letter
Return deadline20 days. 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.R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19(b)
PenaltyA landlord who doesn’t comply owes the amount due plus twice the amount wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorney’s fees.R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19(c)

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)).

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 Security Deposit Return Letter 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)).

More Rhode Island landlord documents

Security Deposit Return Letter in other states

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