Rhode Island Security Deposit Law: Limits, Deadlines, and Penalties
What Rhode Island landlords can charge, when deposits must be returned, and what it costs to get it wrong. Last reviewed 2026-08-12.
How much can a landlord charge in Rhode Island?
A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit exceeding one month's periodic rent. One exception: for a furnished apartment where the furniture's replacement value is $5,000 or more at lease signing, the landlord may collect a separate furniture security deposit of up to one additional month's rent.
No separate pet deposit is authorized; any pet deposit counts toward the one-month cap, since the statute limits any deposit 'however denominated' to one month's rent.
When must the deposit be returned?
The deposit and itemized notice are due within 20 days after the latest of: termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, or the tenant providing a forwarding address for receiving the deposit. The same 20-day rule applies to any furniture security deposit.
Deductions — limited to unpaid rent, reasonable cleaning expenses, reasonable trash disposal expenses, and physical damage beyond ordinary wear and tear — must be itemized in a written notice delivered to the tenant with the balance due.
What happens if a landlord misses the deadline?
If the landlord fails to comply, the tenant may recover the amount due plus damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(c)).
Interest and holding requirements
Rhode Island does not require interest on security deposits. Bills to require interest-bearing accounts (e.g., 2024's H 7746 and S 2824) have been introduced repeatedly but not enacted.
No statutory requirement for a separate account, escrow, or bond. If the landlord sells the property, the new owner is bound by the deposit obligations.
Recent changes to the law
No changes to § 34-18-19 were enacted in 2024-2026. Bills requiring landlords to hold deposits in interest-bearing accounts (H 7746 and S 2824 in 2024, with similar reintroductions) were heard but did not pass.
What Rhode Island landlords get wrong
Rhode Island's 20-day deadline is one of the shortest in the country, and the cap language is strict: any deposit 'however denominated' — pet deposit, key deposit, last month's 'security' — counts toward the one-month limit, and lease clauses waiving the statute are void. The allowed deductions are narrower than most states: unpaid rent, reasonable cleaning, trash disposal, and damage beyond ordinary wear and tear. The furniture deposit exception requires the furniture to be genuinely worth $5,000 or more when the lease is signed, so document furniture value if you rely on it.
The law itself
Frequently asked questions
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Rhode Island?
No more than one month's rent, no matter what the deposit is called — pet deposits and other add-ons count toward the cap. The only exception: for a furnished apartment where the furniture is worth $5,000 or more at lease signing, the landlord may collect a separate furniture deposit of up to one more month's rent.
How long does a Rhode Island landlord have to return a security deposit?
Twenty days — one of the shortest deadlines in the country. The clock starts at the latest of the tenancy ending, the tenant delivering possession, or the tenant providing a forwarding address. Within that window the landlord must deliver the balance plus a written itemization of any deductions for unpaid rent, cleaning, trash disposal, or damage.
What can a Rhode Island landlord deduct from a security deposit?
Only four things: unpaid accrued rent, reasonable cleaning expenses, reasonable trash disposal expenses, and physical damage to the premises beyond ordinary wear and tear caused by the tenant's noncompliance. Every deduction must be itemized in a written notice delivered with the remaining balance within 20 days. Routine repainting and normal carpet wear are not deductible.
What is the penalty for not returning a deposit in Rhode Island?
A tenant can sue for the amount due plus damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees. On a $1,500 wrongfully withheld deposit, that means the landlord could owe $4,500 plus the tenant's legal costs. Lease provisions waiving these rights are unenforceable.
Keep reading
Deposit deadlines are easy to miss — until they cost you triple.
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Start Free TrialThis page is general information, not legal advice. Statutes change — verify against the official text linked above or consult a local attorney before acting.