Rhode Island Lease Agreement Template

1. Code Violations (conditional) – If the landlord has been cited by an enforcement agency for a housing or building code violation, the landlord must disclose the violation to any current or potential tenants.^[1]

2. Landlord/Manager Disclosure – The name and address of the owner of the premises and any person authorized to manage the premises on the owner’s behalf must be disclosed in writing to the tenant.^[2]

3. Lead-Based Paint Disclosure & EPA Pamphlet (conditional) – The landlord of a building constructed prior to 1978 must provide this notice to their tenants to disclose the possible existence of lead-based paint in the building.

Maximum Amount – The landlord may not demand more than the equivalent of one month’s rent as a security deposit.^[3]

Collecting Interest – Rhode Island state law does not require that a landlord collect interest on a tenant’s security deposit.

Returning – The landlord must return the security deposit, minus any amounts withheld to cover the costs of unpaid rent or repairs to the premises, to the tenant within 20 days of the end of tenancy.^[4]

• Itemized List – If the landlord withholds any portion of the tenant’s security deposit, they must provide the tenant with an itemized list of the withheld amounts within 20 days of the end of tenancy.^[4]

Grace Period – There is a 15-day grace period for rent payments in Rhode Island, during which the landlord cannot begin eviction proceedings or charge late fees.^[5] If rent is not paid on the 16th day, the landlord can send the tenant a five-day notice to quit.

Maximum Late Fee – There is no statutory limit on late fees in Rhode Island.

NSF Fee – A landlord can charge a maximum amount of $25 for each bad check written by the tenant.^[6]

Withholding Rent – If the landlord fails to maintain the premises in a way that materially impacts health and safety, the tenant can pay to have repairs done and deduct the cost of the repairs from their rent, so long as the cost is less than $500.^[7]

Standard Access – The landlord must provide at least two days’ notice before entering the tenant’s property to conduct inspections, make repairs, or perform any other routine services.^[8]

Immediate Access – The landlord may enter the property without the consent of the tenant in the case of an emergency, or if the tenant has been absent for more than seven days and such entry is necessary for the protection of the property.^[9]

Absence – A lease agreement may require the tenant to inform the landlord of any anticipated absence in excess of 10 days.^[10]

Breaking the Lease – If the landlord fails to comply with the terms of the lease agreement or with their duty to maintain the premises, the tenant may give 30 days’ notice that they will terminate the lease if the failure is not remedied within 20 days.^[11]

Tenant’s Utility Shutoff – If the tenant’s failure to maintain utilities in the unit constitutes a material breach of the lease agreement or their duties as a tenant, the landlord may serve a 20-day notice to remedy the breach or vacate the premises.^[12]

Unclaimed Property – If a tenant is evicted and their personal property has to be removed from the premises, they are responsible for the costs of moving their property as well as any prepaid storage charges.^[13]