Security deposit return deadline in Rhode Island
A Rhode Island landlord has 20 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 20 days
- What the landlord must send
- The landlord must itemize deductions in a written notice and deliver it with the amount due within 20 days after the later of move-out, delivery of possession, or the tenant giving a forwarding address.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- The tenant recovers the amount due plus twice the amount wrongfully withheld, and attorney fees.
- Deposit limit
- 1 month’s rent (a separate furniture deposit is allowed for furnishings worth $5,000 or more)
The law
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19. Read the statute.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Rhode Island, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Rhode Island law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.