Rhode Island Landlord Repair Duties & Habitability Rights (2026)

What a landlord must fix, and your options when they do not

At a glance

• Core duty: R.I.G.L. § 34-18-22 — 房东义务：符合健康安全建筑/住房法规、维持 fit and habitable、维护电气/管道/卫生/供热/通风/空调，不可放弃。
• Notice before acting: 书面通知房东后 **20 天**修复期（34-18-30）。
• Governing authority: R.I.G.L. § 34-18-22

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the landlord's duty to maintain a habitable home in Rhode Island, and what you can do when repairs go unmade.

It does not cover commercial leases, or conditions you caused yourself (which are treated differently).

The landlord's duty

R.I.G.L. § 34-18-22 — 房东义务：符合健康安全建筑/住房法规、维持 fit and habitable、维护电气/管道/卫生/供热/通风/空调，不可放弃。

供热：10月1日-5月1日 reasonable heat；冷热水；$100,000 责任险（2021 新增，须随租约提供保单声明页）。

R.I.G.L. § 34-18-22 ↗

What the duty covers in practice

Notice and time to cure

书面通知房东后 **20 天**修复期（34-18-30）。

R.I.G.L. § 34-18-30 ↗

Your remedies when repairs go unmade

Landlord entry rules

R.I.G.L. § 34-18-26 — **48 小时（2 天）通知**，合理时间进入；紧急情况无通知；租客缺席超 7 天可进入保护财产。

R.I.G.L. § 34-18-26 ↗

When the duty does not apply

条件系租客、家人或经其同意者造成 → 租客不得据此主张（34-18-22 房东义务限于非租客过错）。

R.I.G.L. § 34-18-22 ↗

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.

Statute	Last verified	Source
R.I.G.L. § 34-18-22	2026-10-16	official text ↗
R.I.G.L. § 34-18-22(a)(3)-(4)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
R.I.G.L. § 34-18-22(a)(6)-(7)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
R.I.G.L. § 34-18-30	2026-10-16	official text ↗
R.I.G.L. § 34-18-31	2026-10-16	official text ↗
R.I.G.L. § 34-18-34	2026-10-16	official text ↗
R.I.G.L. § 34-18-26	2026-10-16	official text ↗

Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help guide is the right starting point for understanding your position. Get legal help if:

• You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
• The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
• Your landlord has filed anything in court already
• You are unsure whether a local ordinance changes the state rule

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More Rhode Island guides

Rhode Island Security Deposit Return · Rhode Island Security Deposit Rules · Rhode Island Eviction Process · Rhode Island Rent Increase Rules · Rhode Island Landlord Retaliation

→ All Rhode Island tenant rights topics

Common questions