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Rhode Island security deposit: 20 days to get it back

Within 20 days after the latest of the end of the tenancy, delivery of possession, or the tenant giving a forwarding address, the landlord must deliver a written itemized notice of any deductions together with the amount due.

Double-check before you rely on this. Parts of this page come from legal-aid and other secondary summaries instead of the official statute text. Confirm the deadline and penalty in R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19, and check whether a local ordinance changes the rules.

What the law requires

Itemized statement: Deductions for unpaid rent and damages from the tenant's noncompliance must be itemized in a written notice delivered to the tenant together with any amount due. No receipt or documentation thresholds appear in the text reviewed.
Forwarding address: The 20-day period does not start until the tenant has provided the landlord with a forwarding address (as well as ended the tenancy and delivered possession).
If the landlord breaks the rules: If the landlord fails to comply or fails to return prepaid rent owed, the tenant may recover the amount due plus damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorney fees.
Deposit cap: One month's periodic rent.
Small claims limit: $5,000 in District Court (Small Claims)
Statute: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19

If your landlord misses the deadline

Write down your dates and gather proof: move-out date, the date you gave your forwarding address, the deposit amount, and anything the landlord sent. Photos and receipts help.
Send a written demand by certified mail, keep the receipt, and cite R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19. Give a date to respond.
If you still aren't paid, file in District Court (Small Claims). Deposit claims up to $5,000 can be filed there, usually without a lawyer. Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

What a Rhode Island demand letter looks like

Re: Demand for return of security deposit / Rental address: [Street address, unit, city, state ZIP]

Dear [Landlord name]:

I rented the property above from you under a lease that began on [lease start date]. I paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount] on [date paid]. I moved out and returned possession on [move-out date].

My forwarding address is [forwarding address]. Please send my deposit and any required statement to that address.

[A.] I have not received my deposit or an itemized statement of deductions. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19, a landlord must return a tenant's security deposit, or send an itemized statement of any deductions, within 20 days after the tenant moves out and gives a forwarding address. That deadline passed on [deadline date].

Preview of the first part of letter one. Yellow marks the parts you fill in.

Common questions

How long does a landlord in Rhode Island have to return a security deposit?

What happens if a Rhode Island landlord keeps the deposit wrongfully?

If the landlord fails to comply or fails to return prepaid rent owed, the tenant may recover the amount due plus damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorney fees.

Do I have to give my Rhode Island landlord a forwarding address?

The 20-day period does not start until the tenant has provided the landlord with a forwarding address (as well as ended the tenancy and delivered possession).

Where do I sue for my deposit in Rhode Island?

Deposit claims up to $5,000 can be filed in District Court (Small Claims). Check the court's website for current filing fees and forms.

Other states

Rules reviewed October 2026. Laws change, so confirm with the statute before you rely on this page.