Renters' Rights · Security Deposit
Security Deposit Laws in Rhode Island
The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Rhode Island.
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What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back
Enter your rent for the Rhode Island maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.
Estimate only, based on Rhode Island's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.
The full rules, with the statute
Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.
Exceptions: A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit greater than one month's rent. For a furnished unit where the replacement value of the furniture is more than $5,000, the landlord may collect a separate furniture security deposit of up to one additional month's rent.
Penalties & recent changes
What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.
What Rhode Island renters get wrong
Rhode Island caps a residential security deposit at one month's rent under R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-19, part of the state's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. After you move out, the landlord has 20 days to return the deposit, but that clock starts at the latest of three events: the tenancy ending, you handing back possession, or you giving the landlord a forwarding address for the deposit. Along with any refund, the landlord must send a written notice itemizing every deduction, and deductions are limited to unpaid rent, reasonable cleaning and trash costs, and damage beyond ordinary wear and tear. If the landlord keeps money without justification, you can recover the amount wrongfully withheld plus damages equal to twice that amount, along with your reasonable attorney fees. Rhode Island does not require interest on the deposit or a separate account. One extra rule applies to furnished units: if the furniture is worth more than $5,000, the landlord may collect a separate furniture deposit of up to one more month's rent.
Common questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Rhode Island?
No more than one month's rent. R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-19 bars a landlord from demanding or receiving a deposit larger than one month's periodic rent. If the unit is furnished and the furniture is worth more than $5,000, the landlord may also collect a separate furniture deposit of up to one additional month's rent.
How long does a landlord have to return my deposit in Rhode Island?
Twenty days. The 20-day window starts at the latest of three points: your tenancy ending, you handing back possession, or you giving the landlord a forwarding address for the deposit. So it is worth providing a forwarding address in writing right away to start that clock.
What can I do if my Rhode Island landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?
You can recover the amount wrongfully withheld, plus damages equal to twice that amount, and your reasonable attorney fees. For example, $300 kept without justification can leave the landlord owing $600 in damages on top of the refund, plus fees. The landlord has the burden of proving any deduction was reasonable.
Does my Rhode Island landlord have to pay interest or itemize deductions?
The landlord does not have to pay interest, and state law does not require a separate account. But if any amount is withheld, the landlord must give you a written notice that itemizes each deduction, and deductions are limited to unpaid rent, reasonable cleaning and trash costs, and damage beyond ordinary wear and tear.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.