Sources checked:
Quick answer. The state: deposit capped at 1 month of rent; deposit returned within 20 days; 30-day notice to end month-to-month; 5-day notice for unpaid rent; 48-hour entry notice; $5,000 small claims limit. 16 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 7 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- 1 month's rent
- Deposit back within
- 20 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- 30 days
- Unpaid rent notice
- 5 days
- Entry notice
- 48 hours
- Time to answer or appear
- At the hearing
- Judgment to writ
- 6 days
- Small claims limit
- $5,000
Security deposit (4 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-19.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
No more than one month's periodic rent (34-18-19(a)).
Source: Rhode Island General Assembly: 34-18-19, Security deposits, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
Within 20 days after the latest of: the tenancy ends, possession is delivered, or the tenant gives a forwarding address (34-18-19(b)).
Source: Rhode Island General Assembly: 34-18-19, Security deposits, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
Deductions itemized in a written notice delivered to the tenant (34-18-19(b)).
Source: Rhode Island General Assembly: 34-18-19, Security deposits, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedInterest on the deposit
Not confirmed — check Rhode Island General Assembly: 34-18-19, Security deposits. Not confirmed from official text. Check R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-19.
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Not confirmedWhere the deposit is held
Not confirmed — check Rhode Island General Assembly: 34-18-19, Security deposits. Not confirmed from official text. Check R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-19.
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
Twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees (34-18-19(c)).
Source: Rhode Island General Assembly: 34-18-19, Security deposits, checked November 2026
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (5 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | Written notice delivered at least 30 days before the date named in the notice (10 days for week-to-week). Either side. | Source: Rhode Island General Assembly: R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-37, checked November 2026 (R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-37(b)) |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | Written notice delivered at least 30 days before the date named in the notice (10 days for week-to-week). Either side. | Source: Rhode Island General Assembly: R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-37, checked November 2026 (R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-37(b)) |
| Rent increase notice | Written notice at least 60 days before the increase for tenants 62 and under; 120 days for tenants over 62. | Source: Rhode Island General Assembly commission documents: Updated Rhode Island Landlord Tenant Handbook (draft, September 2024), checked November 2026 (R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-16.1) |
| Unpaid rent notice | Once rent is more than 15 days in arrears, a 5-day demand letter; the tenant has 5 days from mailing to pay. The form is in 34-18-56(a). | Source: Rhode Island General Assembly commission documents: Updated Rhode Island Landlord Tenant Handbook (draft, September 2024), checked November 2026 (R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-35; 34-18-56) |
| Entry notice | At least 2 days' advance notice at a reasonable time; none needed in an emergency or after the tenant has been away more than 7 days. | Source: Rhode Island General Assembly commission documents: Updated Rhode Island Landlord Tenant Handbook (draft, September 2024), checked November 2026 (R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-26) |
| Late fee limits | Not confirmed — check Rhode Island General Assembly: R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-37. Not in the handbook. Check R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 34-18. |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (6 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: Once rent is more than 15 days in arrears, a 5-day demand letter; the tenant has 5 days from mailing to pay. The form is in 34-18-56(a).
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
Evictions are heard in the District Court.
District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions
Source: Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedFiling fee
Not confirmed — check Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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ConfirmedTime to answer or appear
In a nonpayment case the tenant may file an answer at the hearing itself; missing the call of the case can lose it.
may file an Answer in nonpayment of rent evictions at the time of the hearing itself.
Source: Rhode Island General Assembly (commission documents): Updated RI Landlord Tenant Handbook (September 2024 draft), checked November 2026
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- Hearing or trial
-
ConfirmedHearing after filing
In a nonpayment case the hearing is 14 to 21 days after filing.
fourteen (14) to twenty-one (21) days from the filing of an eviction for non-payment of rent
Source: Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ, checked November 2026
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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ConfirmedJudgment to writ
If no appeal is taken, the landlord may seek the writ of execution on the 6th day.
on the 6th day, the landlord may seek a 'Writ of Execution' from the Court.
Source: Rhode Island General Assembly (commission documents): Updated RI Landlord Tenant Handbook (September 2024 draft), checked November 2026
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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Not confirmedWrit to lockout
Not confirmed — check Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
The writ lets a sheriff or constable regain possession.
allows a sheriff or constable to come to the rental unit and regain possession of the premises.
Source: Rhode Island General Assembly (commission documents): Updated RI Landlord Tenant Handbook (September 2024 draft), checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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ConfirmedPaying to stop the case
The first time a tenant falls behind, paying all rent owed plus court costs at the hearing avoids eviction; after a 5-day demand letter in the prior 6 months the landlord may refuse.
the right to avoid eviction by paying the entire amount of rent owed, plus court costs, at the time of the eviction hearing.
Source: Rhode Island General Assembly (commission documents): Updated RI Landlord Tenant Handbook (September 2024 draft), checked November 2026
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Example: a case filed Monday, March 1, 2027
The earliest date of each stage the confirmed rules allow, from our eviction timeline estimator. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
| Stage | Earliest date |
|---|---|
| Case filed | Monday, March 1, 2027 |
| Answer or appear | Monday, March 15, 2027 |
| Hearing or trial | Monday, March 15, 2027 |
| Judgment | Monday, March 15, 2027 |
| Writ or warrant of possession | Sunday, March 21, 2027 |
Help the official pages name: Rhode Island Legal Services, (401) 274-2652.
More: Eviction process timeline by state · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$5,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
R.I. Gen. Laws 10-16-1 (amended P.L. 2021, ch. 143 and 144, effective July 3, 2021): not in excess of $5,000 exclusive of interest and costs, for contract actions, tax recovery, retail sale/services to the public, and negotiable instruments. District Court page: personal injury and auto/other accident damage cases are not heard as small claims.
Filing fee to start a case: $75.75.
Source: RI District Court: Small Claims, checked November 2026
More: Rhode Island small claims court
Still to confirm
- Interest on the deposit: check Rhode Island General Assembly: 34-18-19, Security deposits
- Where the deposit is held: check Rhode Island General Assembly: 34-18-19, Security deposits
- Late fee limits: check Rhode Island General Assembly: R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-37
- Filing fee: check Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ
- Writ to lockout: check Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ
- Right to counsel (statewide): check Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check Rhode Island Judiciary: District Court Landlord/Tenant Evictions FAQ
Rhode Island kit
Rhode Island Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the state return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Rhode Island?
No more than one month's periodic rent (34-18-19(a)).
How long does a Rhode Island landlord have to return a deposit?
Within 20 days after the latest of: the tenancy ends, possession is delivered, or the tenant gives a forwarding address (34-18-19(b)). What goes with it: Deductions itemized in a written notice delivered to the tenant (34-18-19(b)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Rhode Island?
From the landlord: Written notice delivered at least 30 days before the date named in the notice (10 days for week-to-week). Either side. From the tenant: Written notice delivered at least 30 days before the date named in the notice (10 days for week-to-week). Either side.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Rhode Island?
Once rent is more than 15 days in arrears, a 5-day demand letter; the tenant has 5 days from mailing to pay. The form is in 34-18-56(a).
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Rhode Island?
At least 2 days' advance notice at a reasonable time; none needed in an emergency or after the tenant has been away more than 7 days.
How long does an eviction case take in Rhode Island?
Time to answer or appear: At the hearing. Hearing after filing: 14 to 21 days. Judgment to writ: 6 days. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
Can a Rhode Island deposit dispute go to small claims court?
The small claims limit in our data: $5,000: the most a small claims case can ask for. The court's own page explains what kinds of cases it hears.
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords