Rhode Island Rental Agreement

Last Updated: May 27, 2025 by Roberto Valenzuela

A Rhode Island rental agreement is a legal contract between a landlord overseeing a rental property and a tenant using the property. Rhode Island landlord-tenant law governs and regulates these agreements.

Rhode Island Rental Agreement Types

11 pages
Residential Lease Agreement

A Rhode Island residential lease agreement (“rental agreement”) is a legal contract for a tenant to rent a residential property from a landlord, subject to terms and conditions agreed by all parties.

9 pages
Month-to-Month Rental Agreement

A Rhode Island month-to-month lease agreement is a contract (not necessarily written) where a tenant rents property from a landlord. The full rental term is one month, renewable on a month-to-month basis.

4 pages
Rental Application Form

Rhode Island landlords may use a rental application form to screen prospective tenants. A rental application collects information relating to finances, rental history, and past evictions.

7 pages
Residential Sublease Agreement

A Rhode Island sublease agreement is a legal contract where a tenant ("sublessor") rents (“subleases”) property to a new tenant (“sublessee”), usually with the landlord’s permission.

9 pages
Roommate Agreement

A Rhode Island roommate agreement is a legal contract between two or more people (“co-tenants”) who share a rental property according to rules they set, including for things like splitting the rent. This agreement binds the co-tenants living together, and doesn’t include the landlord.

8 pages
Commercial Lease Agreement

A Rhode Island commercial lease agreement is a legal contract arranging the rental of commercial space between a landlord and a business.

Common Residential Rental Agreements in Rhode Island

  • RIHousing Residential Lease – Used by a major Rhode Island housing provider, this lease covers the basic terms and conditions required for a residential tenancy.

Rhode Island Required Residential Lease Disclosures

  • Landlord’s Name and Address (required for all leases) – Rhode Island leases must contain the name and address of the landlord or authorized agent. This ensures smooth communication and payment of rent in the event of any unusual situations. Typically includes additional contact information for the landlord and authorized agents, such as phone numbers and email addresses.
  • Comprehensive Fee Disclosure (required for all leases) – Rhode Island leases must list all fees beyond the rent for which the tenant is responsible. This includes which utilities the tenant pays, and whether the tenant must carry renters’ insurance.
  • Housing Code Violation Notice (required for some leases) – Rhode Island landlords must disclose any current housing code violations in the building that’s being rented out.
  • Lead-Based Paint Disclosure (required for some leases) – Landlords must provide an EPA-approved disclosure and informational pamphlet to tenants renting any property built before 1978.

To learn more about required disclosures in Rhode Island, click here.

Rhode Island Landlord Tenant Laws

  • Warranty of Habitability – Rhode Island landlords can only rent out habitable property. This means providing certain basic health and safety features like heat, plumbing, and electricity. Landlords must repair any issues within 20 days of proper notice from the tenant. Failure to repair lets a tenant terminate the lease, sue the landlord, or repair and deduct. Rent withholding isn’t usually allowed.
  • Evictions – Rhode Island landlords may evict for rent default, lease violations, or illegal acts, among other things. Before filing eviction, landlords must serve tenants with prior notice to pay or quit, depending on the eviction type. This means most evictions in Rhode Island take somewhere from a few days to over one month.
  • Security Deposits – Rhode Island limits the amount of a security deposit to 1 month’s rent. Landlords of furnished properties may demand an extra one month’s rent as deposit, if the value of the furniture is over $5,000 total. When a lease ends, the landlord must return any unused portion of the tenant’s deposit within 20 days.
  • Lease Termination – Rhode Island tenants may end a month-to-month lease with 30 days of advance notice. Terminating a fixed-term lease early usually requires active military duty, landlord harassment, uninhabitable property, or domestic abuse.
  • Rent Increases and Fees – Rhode Island doesn’t limit the amount of a rent increase. Before increasing the rent, landlords must provide 60 days of advance notice (120, days for month-to-month tenants over 62 years old). There’s no statewide cap on most fees. Returned check fees may be recovered through a civil action after 30 days unpaid. A landlord’s recovery for a bounced check is capped at a $25 collection fee plus 3 times the value of the check, with a minimum of $200 and a maximum of $1,000.
  • Landlord Entry – Rhode Island landlords have the right to enter rental property for reasonable business purposes, like repairs, inspections, and property showings. Except in emergencies, they must provide at least two days of advance notice.
  • Settling Legal Disputes – Rhode Island lets small claims courts hear landlord-tenant disputes as long as the amount in controversy is under $5,000. Small claims can’t hear eviction cases.

To learn more about landlord tenant laws in Rhode Island, click here.

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