Free Rhode Island Lease Agreement Template

A Rhode Island lease agreement is a written contract between a landlord and a tenant that sets the terms for renting a residential property in Rhode Island. It covers rent, due dates, late fees, the security deposit, utilities, maintenance, and move-out rules.

Landlords use a Rhode Island lease agreement when renting out a house, apartment, condo, or room. Putting everything in writing helps prevent disputes and makes sure both sides understand their responsibilities under Rhode Island’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (RI Gen L § 34-18).

Rhode Island landlord-tenant law sets important limits and rules your lease must follow. Here are some of the key points to keep in mind when you create your Rhode Island lease agreement:

• Rent control: Rhode Island does not have statewide rent control. Local governments may consider their own rules, but there is no state statute that caps residential rent amounts.
• Security deposits: Residential security deposits cannot be more than one month’s rent. This limit appears in RI Gen L § 34-18-19.
• Grace period for rent: Landlords must give tenants a 15-day grace period after rent is due before they treat the payment as late for nonpayment purposes. This requirement is in RI Gen L § 34-18-35. The tenant has 5 days from the date of mailing to make the late rent payment.
• Late fees: Rhode Island law does not set a specific cap on late fees, but any late fee must be included in the lease and should be reasonable to avoid disputes.
• Landlord entry: For non-emergency entry, landlords must give at least two days’ notice and enter at reasonable times, as required by RI Gen L § 34-18-26.

Document Genius’s guided form helps you reflect these rules in your Rhode Island lease agreement so your terms are clear and compliant.

Rhode Island gives landlords flexibility with rent amounts, but it adds specific timing rules for late rent and rent increases.

• Rent amount: There is no statewide rent control, so landlords and tenants may agree to any lawful rent amount, as long as it is clearly written into the lease.
• Grace period: Under RI Gen L § 34-18-35, landlords must provide a 15-day grace period after the due date before treating rent as late for nonpayment. During this time, the landlord generally cannot start nonpayment eviction proceedings.
• Late fees: The statute does not set a dollar limit on late fees. However, late fees should be reasonable and must be described in the lease so tenants understand when they apply and how they are calculated.
• Rent increases: Rent increases are generally allowed only at the end of a lease term or in month-to-month tenancies with proper written notice. Rhode Island law requires at least 30 days’ notice for most tenants and at least 60 days’ notice if the tenant is 62 years of age or older, as described in RI Gen L § 34-18-16.1.
• Nonpayment of rent: If rent is still unpaid after the 15-day grace period, landlords may issue a 5-day notice to quit for nonpayment and then follow the court process for eviction. Rhode Island’s summary process rules appear in Chapter 34-18 and related court rules.

Add clear due dates, grace period language, and late fee details to your Rhode Island lease agreement so tenants know exactly what to expect.

Rhode Island has strict limits on how much security deposit a landlord can collect and how quickly it must be returned.

• Maximum amount: For residential leases, a security deposit cannot be more than one month’s rent, according to RI Gen L § 34-18-19.
• Purpose of the deposit: The deposit is meant to cover unpaid rent, unpaid utilities that are the tenant’s responsibility, and the reasonable cost of repairing damage beyond normal wear and tear.
• Return deadline: After the tenancy ends and the tenant delivers possession, the landlord must return the security deposit within 20 days, along with an itemized list of any lawful deductions, as required by§ 34-18-19.
• Deductions: Landlords may deduct unpaid rent and the cost of repairing tenant-caused damage that goes beyond normal wear and tear. Ordinary use, such as minor carpet wear or small nail holes, usually cannot justify keeping the deposit.
• Penalties for noncompliance: If the landlord fails to return the deposit or provide the required itemized list within 20 days, they may lose the right to keep any part of the deposit and can be liable for additional damages, and any attorney fees incurred by the tenant. Rhode Island tenant rights materials based on § 34-18-19 explain that tenants may be able to recover up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld.

In your Rhode Island lease agreement, describe the deposit amount, what it covers, and when it will be returned to help avoid end-of-tenancy disputes.

Rhode Island law divides responsibility for maintenance between landlords and tenants and sets rules for when the landlord can enter the property.

Landlord Responsibilities

• Habitability: Landlords must keep rental units in a safe and habitable condition, as described in RI Gen L § 34-18-22. This includes complying with applicable building and housing codes that affect health and safety.
• Essential services: Landlords must provide and maintain essential services, including heat, hot water, plumbing, and, when provided in the lease, air conditioning and other utilities.
• Repairs: After receiving written notice of a problem affecting health or safety not caused by the tenant themselves, landlords generally have up to 20 days to start repairs, according to RI Gen L § 34-18-30. If the problem is urgent, they should act sooner.
• Right of entry: For non-emergency entry, landlords must give at least two days’ notice and enter only at reasonable times, as required by § 34-18-26. No notice is required in true emergencies.

Tenant Responsibilities

• Everyday upkeep: Tenants must keep their unit reasonably clean, use fixtures properly, and dispose of trash safely. These duties are described in RI Gen L § 34-18-24.
• Preventing damage: Tenants must avoid damaging the property intentionally or through negligence and must make sure household members and guests do the same.
• Reporting issues: Tenants should promptly notify the landlord about serious problems with heat, plumbing, leaks, or other conditions that affect health and safety so the landlord can make repairs.
• Allowing access: Tenants must allow reasonable access for repairs, inspections, or showings after proper notice, except when the request is clearly unreasonable.

Your Rhode Island lease agreement can explain how tenants should request repairs, how quickly you will respond, and how you will give notice before entering the unit.

Rhode Island and federal law require certain information to be shared with tenants before or at the time they sign the lease.

• Landlord and agent identification: The lease should identify the owner and any authorized property manager who can receive legal notices and rent payments. While this comes from general landlord-tenant principles, treating it as a disclosure helps keep contact details clear.
• Outstanding code violations: If there are outstanding housing code violations that materially affect the health and safety of tenants, local code enforcement or court orders may require landlords to disclose them. Rhode Island tenant resources that interpret Chapter 34-18 highlight this as an important transparency practice.
• Lead-based paint disclosure: For most residential properties built before 1978, federal law requires a lead-based paint disclosure and an EPA information pamphlet as required by 42 U.S.C. § 4852d.

Document Genius makes it easy to add these disclosures directly to your Rhode Island lease agreement so tenants have all key information in one document.

Ending a Rhode Island lease agreement depends on the type of tenancy and what your lease says about notice and renewal.

• Fixed-term leases: A fixed-term lease usually ends on the date listed in the agreement. If both parties want to continue, they can sign a new lease or agree in writing to extend or renew the existing one.
• Month-to-month tenancies: In most cases, either the landlord or the tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy by giving at least 30 days’ written notice before the next rental period. This rule comes from Rhode Island’s landlord-tenant framework in Chapter 34-18 and is reflected in local tenant-rights guides.
• Nonpayment and breach: If a tenant does not pay rent, the landlord must wait through the 15-day grace period and then serve a 5-day notice to quit for nonpayment before filing for eviction. Other serious lease violations may require different notice forms and timelines.
• Abandoned belongings: When tenants leave personal property behind after moving out or being evicted, Rhode Island law requires landlords to store items for a reasonable period and make a good-faith effort to contact the tenant. If the landlord must remove property during an eviction, the tenant may be responsible for moving and prepaid storage costs as described in RI Gen L § 34-18-50.

In your Rhode Island lease agreement, clearly explain how much notice is required, how tenants should give notice, and what happens if belongings are left behind. That way, the move-out process is more predictable for everyone.