How much a landlord can charge, and which deductions are actually legal
This page covers how much a landlord may charge in Rhode Island, and which deductions from a residential deposit are lawful. It assumes the tenancy has ended and the question is what may be withheld.
It does not cover:
One month's periodic rent. A furnished apartment (furniture replacement value ≥ $5,000) may carry a separate furniture deposit of up to 1 month's rent — § 34-18-19(a), (e).
Caps frequently carry exceptions — smaller landlords, furnished units, or pets are treated differently in most states. Read the provision itself rather than relying on the headline figure.
| Claimed deduction | Permitted in Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Unpaid accrued rent | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Reasonable cleaning expenses | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Reasonable trash disposal expenses | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Physical damages beyond ordinary wear and tear | Permitted, if substantiated |
| Claimed deduction | Permitted in Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Ordinary wear and tear | Not permitted |
| Any amount without the written itemized notice within 20 days | Not permitted |
Whether a specific charge is lawful depends on the facts — how old the damage is, whether the lease addressed it, and whether the landlord can document the cost. A charge being in the "permitted" column does not make it automatically collectable.
The landlord may deduct only unpaid accrued rent, reasonable cleaning expenses, reasonable trash-disposal expenses, and physical damages beyond ordinary wear and tear, all itemized in a written notice. Ordinary wear and tear is not deductible.
In Rhode Island the burden sits with the landlord. This matters strategically: if the burden is theirs, your task is to request the documentation rather than to prove the deduction wrong. R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(b) ↗
A landlord who withholds in bad faith may be liable for 2x the portion wrongfully withheld.
If the landlord fails to comply with the return requirement, the tenant may recover the amount due plus damages equal to TWICE the amount wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorney fees. No bad-faith finding is required.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(c) ↗The tenant may recover the landlord's attorney fees.
Reasonable attorney fees are recoverable on the landlord's failure to comply with the return requirement.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(c) ↗Rhode Island's penalty is automatic — no bad-faith finding required. Failure to comply yields 2x the amount wrongfully withheld plus reasonable attorney fees.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(c) ↗Landlords of 6+ dwelling units must hold deposits in federally insured interest-bearing accounts at or above the savings-account market rate, with interest accruing to the tenant.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(b)(1) ↗““You never gave me a forwarding address.””
Here is my forwarding address now. The 20-day clock runs from the later of termination, possession, or my providing this address — so it starts now.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(b)
““I deducted for damages.””
You may deduct only unpaid rent, reasonable cleaning and trash-disposal expenses, and physical damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, itemized in a written notice. If you failed to comply, I may recover twice the amount wrongfully withheld plus attorney fees.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(b), (c)
““I'll keep the deposit and you can sue me.””
Failure to return my deposit on time entitles me to the amount due plus twice the amount wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorney fees.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(c)
Some widely circulated summaries of Rhode Island deposit law state things the statute does not say. We list the disagreements rather than picking a side silently.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Some summaries | 20 days after move-out |
| R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(b) | 20 days after the later of termination, possession, or forwarding address |
What we follow: 20 days from the latest trigger (incl. forwarding address)
The statute expressly includes the tenant providing a forwarding address as a trigger. Omitting it would wrongly start the clock before the tenant provides an address.
Every figure on this page comes from the official text, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked against the source.
| Statute | Last verified | Source |
|---|---|---|
| R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(b) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(c) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
| R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(b)(1) | 2026-10-15 | official text ↗ |
Primary reference: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19 (Security deposits). Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Amendments are recorded on the site changelog.
A self-help letter is the right starting point for a single deposit you can document. Get legal help if:
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.
Rhode Island Security Deposit Return
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The statute does not permit deductions for: ordinary wear and tear; any amount without the written itemized notice within 20 days.
The landlord. The landlord may deduct only unpaid accrued rent, reasonable cleaning expenses, reasonable trash-disposal expenses, and physical damages beyond ordinary wear and tear, all itemized in a written notice. Ordinary wear and tear is not deductible.
One month's periodic rent. A furnished apartment (furniture replacement value ≥ $5,000) may carry a separate furniture deposit of up to 1 month's rent — § 34-18-19(a), (e).
No. Ordinary wear and tear