RI · Renter law

Which lease clauses are illegal in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island banned rental application fees in 2024 and limits what a lease can make you give up. Here’s what each problem clause looks like on the page and what the statute says.

Updated October 15, 2026 · 7min read · How we check the law

The short answer

In Rhode Island, a lease can’t charge a rental application fee (banned since January 1, 2024), require a deposit over one month’s rent, add a convenience fee for paying rent, make you waive your rights or pay the landlord’s attorney’s fees, or let the landlord lock you out or cut off utilities. A landlord who knowingly uses a rights-waiver clause can owe up to three months’ rent plus attorney’s fees (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-17).

Below are 8 lease clauses that Rhode Island law voids or limits, each with an example of how it tends to read in a real lease and the statute behind it. A landlord can still print them; what the law decides is whether they can be enforced against you.

8 lease clauses that break Rhode Island law

1. Any rental application fee

Lease language to watch for
“A non-refundable application fee of $50 per adult applicant is due with this application.”
What the law saysR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-59
Since January 1, 2024, a landlord, broker or property manager may not charge a rental application fee. The only permitted charge is the actual cost of a background or credit check, and not even that if you provide one from the last 90 days. If you’re charged for a check, you get a copy.
Read the official text

More detail: Rhode Island deposit and application fee rules.

2. A deposit of more than one month’s rent

Lease language to watch for
“Tenant shall deposit the sum of two months’ rent as security.”
What the law saysR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19
A security deposit may not exceed one month’s rent. The one exception is a furnished unit with furniture worth $5,000 or more, where a separate furniture deposit of up to one more month is allowed. A lease can’t waive this.
Read the official text

More detail: Rhode Island deposit and application fee rules.

3. A convenience fee for paying rent

Lease language to watch for
“Payments made through the resident portal incur a $4.95 processing fee.”
What the law saysR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-61
A landlord may not charge a tenant a convenience fee for paying rent.
Read the official text

4. Waivers, confessions of judgment and landlord legal fees

Lease language to watch for
“Tenant waives all rights under the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and agrees to pay Landlord’s attorney’s fees in any dispute.”
What the law saysR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-17
A lease can’t make you give up rights under the Act, let someone confess judgment against you, make you pay the landlord’s attorney’s fees, or excuse the landlord from liability for its own wrongdoing. Those clauses are unenforceable, and a landlord who knowingly uses one can owe actual damages plus up to three months’ rent and attorney’s fees.
Read the official text

5. Entry without two days’ notice

Lease language to watch for
“Landlord may enter the Premises at any time without notice.”
What the law saysR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-26R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-45
A landlord must give at least two days’ notice before entering, and may enter only at reasonable times for legitimate reasons such as repairs, inspections or showings. No notice is needed in a genuine emergency. Repeated demands for entry that harass the tenant can be stopped in court.
Read R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-26Read R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-45

6. Lockouts or utility shutoffs

Lease language to watch for
“If rent is unpaid, Landlord may change the locks and suspend utility service until paid in full.”
What the law saysR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-44R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-34
A landlord can’t change the locks, remove a tenant, or shut off heat, water, electricity, gas or other essential services to force a tenant out. A tenant who is locked out or cut off can recover up to three months’ rent or three times actual damages, plus attorney’s fees.
Read R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-44Read R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-34

7. A lien on your belongings for unpaid rent

Lease language to watch for
“Landlord shall have a lien on all of Tenant’s personal property in the Premises for any unpaid rent.”
What the law saysR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-42
A landlord’s lien or security interest in a tenant’s household goods is unenforceable, and seizing a tenant’s property for unpaid rent is abolished.
Read the official text

8. A rent increase on short notice

Lease language to watch for
“Landlord may increase the rent upon 30 days’ written notice.”
What the law saysR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-16.1
A landlord must give written notice at least 60 days before raising the rent, and at least 120 days for a month-to-month tenant who is 62 or older.
Read the official text

It helps to know what isn’t a violation, so you can spend your negotiating energy on the lines that are. These terms are lawful in Rhode Island:

  • A ban on subletting. Rhode Island has no statute on subletting or assignment, so the lease controls. A no-sublet clause generally applies. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-15)

If your lease has one of these clauses

Before you sign: ask for the line to be removed or rewritten, and quote the citation from the card above. Something like: “This clause conflicts with Rhode Island law, so I’d like it struck before I sign.” How a landlord responds tells you a lot about renting from them.

After you’ve signed: a clause the law voids doesn’t become enforceable because it’s in a lease you signed. If a landlord tries to enforce one, a short written reply citing the statute is usually the first step. For an eviction or a lawsuit, talk to a tenant lawyer or your local legal aid office.

If one of these is in your lease, it’s worth checking the rest, including the addenda and rules pages, which can carry problem clauses as easily as the main form.

See everything we check in a Rhode Island lease

Questions renters ask

Can a Rhode Island landlord charge an application fee?

No, not since January 1, 2024. The only permitted charge is the actual cost of a background or credit check, and not even that if you provide one from the last 90 days.

How much notice does a Rhode Island landlord need to enter?

At least two days, and only at reasonable times for legitimate reasons like repairs, inspections or showings. No notice is needed in a genuine emergency.

Does Rhode Island cap late fees?

Rhode Island has no statute capping late fees. Our Rhode Island late-fee guide covers what that means and how to push back on an unreasonable one.

Sources & statutes

More for Rhode Island renters

Keep reading

LeasePatrol provides rental law information, not legal advice, and is not a law firm. Statute summaries here describe the law as of the “updated” date above; if you're facing an eviction or a lawsuit, talk to a tenant lawyer or your local legal aid office.