Rhode Island Tenant Information-Renters Rights

 

Section One: Moving In
THE SECURITY DEPOSIT CANNOT BE MORE THAN ONE MONTH’S RENT
Your landlord can ask for a security deposit equal to the amount of your monthly rent. The
landlord cannot get more than that by saying you must pay the last month’s rent up front. For
example, if your rent will be $900, the landlord cannot ask you to pay more than $900 for the
security deposit.

You should get a receipt for the security deposit that states the amount you paid, the name and
signature of the person you gave the money to, the address of the apartment and the date of
payment.

 

THE LANDLORD MUST TELL YOU WHO TO CONTACT IF THERE’S A PROBLEM
The landlord must give you a written statement telling you the name, address and phone number
of the manager of the apartment and of the owner (or person authorized to act in his/her behalf).
This is the person to contact if there is a problem with your apartment and the person to tell if
you are planning on moving out.

 

Tenants Defending an Eviction Forms

Download How to answer an eviction forms in each state.

Tenant Defence Forms

 

 

THE LANDLORD MUST TELL YOU IN ADVANCE IF S/HE WANTS TO ENTER
YOUR APARTMENT
Once you have moved in, the landlord cannot enter your apartment without telling you about it.
The landlord must give you two days notice that s/he wants to come in. Generally, you must
allow the landlord to enter the apartment as long as notice has been provided, and the request is
reasonable. If there is an emergency, the landlord need not give you the advance notice. If the
landlord continually makes requests to enter your apartment for the purpose of harassing you,
you may be able to get a court order against this activity

 

Section Two: Conditions

THE APARTMENT MUST BE IN GOOD CONDITION
The law requires the landlord to keep your apartment in good repair. The state law says the
landlord must provide safe heating, electrical and plumbing systems, provide garbage bins and
keep the common areas (hallways and stairways) clean and safe. Also, your local city/town has a
housing code which defines the landlord’s responsibilities. You can get a copy of the code from
your minimum code office, which is usually located at the city or town hall.
As a tenant, you are responsible for keeping your own apartment clean and safe and to use the
plumbing, electrical and heating systems in a reasonable manner.

IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE APARTMENT
If there are repairs which must be made in your apartment, it is a good idea to speak with the
landlord first to request that he fix the problems. You should allow the landlord a reasonable
time to make repairs. If the landlord will not make repairs, there are steps you can take to make
repairs on your own and deduct the cost from the rent. You must follow the steps outlined below
before deducting the cost of the repairs from your rent.
If there are serious problems with your apartment, you should call code enforcement
immediately.

Minor Repairs
If there are minor repairs that must be made in your apartment and the landlord will not perform
the work, you can have the repairs made and deduct the cost from your rent. The most you can
deduct for repairs is $125. Except in the case of an emergency repair, you must tell the landlord
about the problem in writing and give him/her 20 days to fix it.
If there is an emergency minor repair (one which represents an immediate danger or severe
hardship) which must be made, you do not need to give the landlord advance written notice and
you do not need to wait the 20 days. However, you must still try to notify your landlord first and
give him/her a chance to fix the problem.
Since you will not be paying the full amount of rent if you use this “repair and deduct” rule, the
landlord may try to bring an eviction action for non-payment. It is very important, therefore, to
follow the required steps before you use the rule. See Repairing Problems in Your Apartment for
more detailed information on the repair and deduct rule.

Essential Service Repair
The landlord is responsible for keeping the appliances which provide heat, hot water, gas and
electricity in good repair. Depending on your agreement, you or the landlord may be responsible
for paying for the service.
If the landlord fails to keep the system in good repair (e.g., the boiler breaks down) or fails to
provide the heat, gas or electricity as you and he agreed, then you can arrange for the repair to be
made or the service to be provided and deduct the cost from your rent. The $125 limitation does

not apply in situations involving essential services. As for minor repairs, you must first try to notify the landlord and give him/her a chance to fix the problem. However, you do not have to wait twenty days to repair the problem if you cannot get in touch with the landlord or s/he refuses to correct the problem.

If you cannot afford the cost of the repair (e.g., the plumbing system needs to be replaced) and the landlord refuses to fix the problem, another option is to move into substitute housing and hold the landlord responsible for the cost. The landlord will not be liable for an amount in excess of the rent.

You probably will have to go to court against the landlord to recover the cost of substitute housing since it is unlikely that s/he will reimburse you voluntarily. You do not need to pay rent during the time your apartment is uninhabitable because the landlord fails to provide an essential service. If you feel you need to move out temporarily,

 

CONTACTING THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICE
The local code enforcement office (also called minimum code office) is responsible for
responding to tenants’ complaints about the landlord’s failure to keep the apartment in safe and
habitable condition.
If there are any serious problems with your apartment, you should contact the local code office
(call city/town hall) and ask that the code officer inspect your building.
If the code officer finds violations, s/he should notify the landlord in writing about the problem
and specify the time in which the problem must be corrected. An emergency violation (e.g., no
heat) should be corrected immediately.
If the violation threatens your health or safety, the code office should allow you to pay rent to the
code office instead of to the landlord. This is called paying the rent into escrow. You may want
to use this process if the problems in your apartment are too bad and would cost so much to fix
that you cannot use the “repair and deduct” rule described above. If the code office tells you
there is no rent escrow program.
If your apartment is in very bad condition, the housing code office may condemn it as being
uninhabitable. If you are told you must move out, the code office is responsible for helping you
relocate.
It is your right to call code enforcement and to have an inspection. It is illegal for the landlord to
evict you for exercising this right. If the landlord starts an eviction action against you because
you called code enforcement, you should list this as a defense to stop the eviction

 

Section Three: RENT
There is no rent control in Rhode Island, so a landlord is free to set the rent at whatever s/he
decides.
You and the landlord can agree on the date that rent will be paid. If your rent is more than 15
days late, you can be evicted for non-payment and the landlord can use a quick court proceeding.
(See Section Four, below) You should always get a receipt when you pay rent and keep the
receipts in a safe place.
Your landlord is allowed to increase the rent by any amount as long as the increase is not for an
illegal reason (e.g., to retaliate against you for calling the code office) and as long as the landlord
follows proper procedures. Your landlord must give written notice of the proposed increase at
least 30 days before the effective date.( 60 days if you are over age 62.)
You can then choose whether you will stay in the apartment and pay the higher rent or leave the
apartment. You should let your landlord know whether or not you will pay the higher rent. If you
will not, you should still offer the landlord the old rent on the day it is due. Your landlord will
probably refuse to accept the rent. However, by offering the old rent, you will prevent the
landlord from winning a non-payment eviction by claiming that you failed to pay rent. For more
information on rent increases, see Rent Increase Procedures.

 

Section Four: EVICTIONS

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAY IN YOUR APARTMENT UNTIL A JUDGE
ORDERS YOU TO LEAVE
When you rent an apartment, you have the right to stay there until the landlord gets a court order
stating that you must leave. Generally, the landlord does not need a reason to evict you, but must
follow the proper procedures. (If you have a written lease, you cannot be evicted until the lease
ends, unless you break one of the conditions of the lease.) Also, the landlord cannot evict you for
an illegal reason (for example, for calling the code office or forming a tenant’s organization).

SELF HELP EVICTIONS ARE ILLEGAL
It is illegal for the landlord to try to force you out of your apartment by changing the locks,
shutting off the gas or taking other actions to try to make you leave. This is called a “self help
eviction.” If the landlord does this, you should immediately call the police. They should be
willing to protect your right to remain in the apartment unless the landlord has a court order for
your eviction. You can also go to court to get a judge to order the landlord to let you back into
the apartment and you can sue the landlord for money damages. You may want to hire an
attorney to represent you (the judge can order the landlord to pay your attorney’s fees) or you can
go to court on your own, without a lawyer. Rhode Island Legal Services has prepared court
forms and instructions for you to use to stop the self help eviction. If your landlord is attempting
a self help eviction,

 

EVICTION PROCESS:
Before Court:
1. Non-Payment of Rent Case
If you are more than 15 days behind in rent, the landlord can use a quick court process to try to
evict you.
Before the landlord starts a court case, s/he must give you a written notice demanding that you
pay the rent. As long as you pay the rent within 5 days of the date on the notice, the landlord
should not start an eviction case. If s/he does, you should go to court and tell the judge that you
paid the rent. The judge should dismiss the case against you and you should win.
If you do not pay the rent within five days, the landlord will start an eviction case. The first
notice you will have of the case is when you receive legal papers from a sheriff or constable.
You should also receive a copy of the papers in the mail from the clerk of court. The papers will
include a Complaint (describing why the landlord wants to evict you), and a Summons (telling
you the date to be in court). You will also receive a form Answer. This is for you to fill out to tell
your side of the story and to tell the judge any legal reasons why you should not be evicted.
(These legal reasons are called “defenses.”) Some of the defenses are that you have paid (or
offered to pay) the rent, your landlord did not send you the 5-day demand letter, your apartment
is in bad condition, or you used the repair and deduct rule. The court date will be 9 days after the
date the clerk or landlord mailed you the legal papers.
The most important thing is for you to go to court on the day of the hearing even if you and the
landlord make an agreement. If you can pay the rent and court costs (usually $105) on the day of
the hearing, you can stop the eviction. You can have an attorney represent you at court or you
can represent yourself. Rhode Island Legal Services has prepared instructions for filling out the
Answer and representing yourself in court. See Eviction Procedures for Non-payment of Rent for
more information about non-payment evictions. If you are being evicted for non-payment of rent,
contact the RILS office nearest you for assistance.

2. Other Eviction Cases
If you are not behind in your rent and the landlord wants to evict you, s/he must first send you a
written “notice to quit” which asks you to move out of your apartment. The notice must state the
date on which you should move. To be legal, the date must be the date you normally would pay
rent. The landlord must send you the notice far enough in advance as required by law. If you pay
rent monthly, you must be given the notice 30 days before the date you need to leave. If you pay
weekly, you must be given at least 10 days advance notice.
If you have not moved out of the apartment by the date listed in the notice, then the landlord
must begin court proceedings to evict you. He cannot just order you to leave or change your
lock. You will receive a Summons and Complaint served by a sheriff or constable. You will have
20 days from the day you receive the legal papers to answer the Complaint. A blank Answer will
be delivered to you with the Summons and Complaint. It is very important for you to file an
Answer with the court so that you will be informed of the trial date. If you do not file the
Answer, you may automatically lose the case.
After you file the Answer, the landlord’s attorney will schedule the trial. Depending on how
quickly s/he acts, the trial can be held as soon as one week after you file your Answer.
You can have a lawyer represent you at the trial, or you can represent yourself. Rhode Island
Legal Services has prepared instructions for filling out the Answer and representing yourself in
court. See Eviction Procedures for Reasons Other Than Non-payment of Rent for further
information about these types of evictions. If you are being evicted for reasons other than nonpayment
of rent.

 

At Court:
You should always go to court for the trial on your eviction, even if you think you have worked
things out with your landlord. Even if you do not have a defense to stop the eviction, you may be
able to work out an agreement with the landlord for more time to move out, or you can ask the
judge for additional time.
If you make an agreement with the landlord, you should be sure to have the agreement put in
writing. If you cannot reach an agreement, the judge will hold a trial. If you have defenses, you
will present them after the landlord presents his/her case. If you win, you should get a paper
called a judgment which states that the eviction cannot take place. If the landlord wins and the
judge allows the eviction, the landlord can have you evicted on the sixth day after the trial. If you
want more time, you need to tell the judge at the time of the trial the reasons you need more time
to move out (for example, the efforts you have made to find a new place, hardship to children,
etc.). The legal language is to ask for a “stay of execution.”

Appeals:
If you lose the trial, you can appeal the case from the District Court to the Superior Court. You
have five days from the date of the trial to file your appeal. It costs around $160 to file the
appeal. If you cannot afford the fee, you can ask the judge to “waive” it. Rhode Island Legal
Services has forms to use in filing the appeal and waiving the court costs. Contact the RILS
office nearest you for assistance in filling out the forms for an appeal and fee waiver. While the
appeal is pending, you can stay in your apartment, but you need to pay the rent to your landlord
in full and on time, as it becomes due. If you fail to pay the rent as it come due, your appeal will
be dismissed and you will be evicted.

After Court:
If you lose the eviction trial, the landlord can have the sheriff evict you on the sixth day after the
trial or on the date that the stay runs out. You may not receive any prior notice from the sheriff
that he is coming to move you out.
You should try to move out before the sheriff comes. If he moves your property into storage, you
will have to pay moving and storage costs to get back your property. These costs can run
between $900 to $2,500, depending on how much stuff you have. If you receive FIP, GPA, or
SSI, the DHS may be able to pay for the cost of moving your property before it is put into
storage. You should contact your welfare worker immediately after losing the court trial to
arrange for moving your property out of the apartment

 

Section Five: MOVING OUT
When you decide to leave your apartment, you should try to give your landlord advance written
notice that you are moving. If you pay monthly, you should give 30 days notice. If you pay
weekly, you should give 10 days notice. If you do not give adequate notice, the landlord may try
to keep your security deposit to pay for rent. If you have a written lease and move out prior to the
end of the term of the lease, your landlord may try to sue you for any lost rent he incurs during
the term of the lease from the time of your departure until he finds a new tenant.
Before leaving, you should make a list describing the condition of the apartment. Have a friend
view the apartment just before you leave, if possible.
Give your landlord a letter stating your new address and requesting that s/he mail you your
security deposit. Be sure to date the letter and keep a copy for your records. The landlord must
return the deposit to you within 20 days after you leave the apartment. If the landlord thinks you
caused damage to the apartment, or you owe rent, s/he can withhold money from the deposit.
However, s/he must give you a written itemized list of the damages and/or rent and give you the
difference between these costs and the security deposit due. If the landlord does not return the
deposit or returns less than you think you should receive, you can sue the landlord in Small
Claims Court. See Your Security Deposit Rights for more information.

 

Not knowing the law when you become a landlord or a tenant in the State of Rhode Island can have unfortunate and sometimes costly consequences for you down the road. Here are a few facts that you may not have known to help you familiarize yourself with local law. As always, consult an attorney before entering into any lease or contract to protect your rights.

 

1. Always have a lease. A lease allows both parties to control certain aspects of the rental agreement, and prevents disputes between the parties regarding rights and responsibilities of either party. Once a lease is signed, the terms of the lease must be honored, even if the property changes hands. If the property is sold to a new owner, any security deposit or last month’s rent must be transferred to that new owner and he or she must honor the terms of the lease with the current tenants until the lease term expires.
2. In order to institute a rent increase, written notice must be given thirty (30) days before the effective date of the rent increase.
3. In order to terminate a lease that is for less than a year, written notice may be given via first class mail, postmarked more than 30 days prior to the termination date. For a lease that is for a period of a year or more, written notice may be given via first class mail more than three months before the termination date. Note that leases can only be legally terminated for certain reasons, contact an attorney before taking action.
4. A security deposit may be collected by the landlord before the tenant takes possession of the premises occurs. The security deposit cannot exceed one (1) month’s rent. The security deposit must be returned within twenty (20) days after the tenant moves out, returns the keys and leaves a valid forwarding address. When the security deposit is returned, the landlord must give an itemized notice listing all deductions withheld. The only legal deductions are for unpaid rent and damage done to the property by the tenant which is NOT ordinary wear and tear. If the security deposit is not returned in a timely manner, or an itemized list is not presented along with the remaining amount returned, a tenant may be able to collect twice the amount of the original security deposit plus attorneys fees.
5. A landlord who is not a resident of the state of Rhode Island must have an agent within the state (either a person or a corporation authorized to do business in the state). Written designation of the agent’s name and address must be filed with the secretary of state and with the clerk of the town where the rental unit is located.
6. If a landlord receives a housing code violation notice from the state he/she must send copies to his affected tenants. Likewise, if there are any outstanding housing code violations in the building where new tenants will be renting, the landlord must inform prospective tenants prior to their taking possession of the premises.
7. A landlord must give a minimum two-day verbal or written notice when he/she needs to enter a tenant’s rental unit. The landlord’s entry should be during reasonable hours and only for legitimate business reasons such as inspections, repairs, alterations, improvements, supplying necessary or agreed to services, or showing the unit to potential buyers/renters.
8. If a unit requires repairs, and the cost of said repairs is less than $125, the tenant may make the repairs or have them done. The repairs done must pass local housing and building codes. The tenant may then deduct the cost of the repair from the rent paid the following month. However, before the tenant makes the repairs they must: Notify the landlord in writing of the intention to correct the condition, wait 20 days as specified in the above mentioned notice to allow the landlord to correct the conditions, and submit a written statement listing actual costs of the repairs made (including cost of supplies) and pay the remaining rent owed.
9. If a rental unit is substantially damaged or destroyed by fire the tenant may move out immediately and notify the landlord in writing within fourteen (14) days the tenant’s intention to terminate the rental agreement. The agreement will have an effective termination date of the time the tenant moved out. If the unit is still habitable, the tenant may vacate the unusable portions and the rent must then be proportionately reduced by the fair rental value lost.
10. A tenant is responsible for keeping their rental unit up to certain minimum maintenance standards. In the situation where a health or safety problem arises for which the tenant is responsible, and no corrective action is taken, the landlord can make a written demand that the repairs, replacement or cleaning be done within 20 days. If it is an emergency situation the landlord may demand that the action is done immediately. If the repairs are not done as specified, the landlord then has the legal right to enter the renal unit, make the repairs as necessary, and charge the tenant for it. Contact an attorney before taking any action to ensure that your actions are protected.

 

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