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Eviction rules depend on the state. Which state is the rental in?

Rhode Island eviction laws

Notices, deadlines, court and tenant rights in Rhode Island — in plain English.

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Overview

The court case
Eviction (complaint for eviction)
Court
Rhode Island District Court (Landlord/Tenant calendar) for the division where the property is located
Main laws
Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-1 et seq. (esp. 34-18-35, 34-18-36, 34-18-37, 34-18-38, 34-18-56)

Just-cause protection

No statewide law

Rhode Island has no just-cause law. A month-to-month tenancy can be ended with 30 days' written notice and a fixed lease may be allowed to expire, but notices must follow the statutory forms in R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37)

Notices before filing, by reason

What a landlord must serve before filing — and what a tenant should expect to receive.

Unpaid rent — Landlord's Five (5) Day Demand Notice for Nonpayment of Rent

Once rent is 15 days late, mail the tenant a written 5-day demand notice in the statutory form. The tenant can pay the full amount before the case is filed. The eviction complaint may be filed no earlier than the 6th day after mailing.

Landlord's Five (5) Day Demand Notice for Nonpayment of Rent

Notice period
5 days
Counting
Send only after rent is 15 days in arrears. The 5 days run from the date of MAILING (day of mailing not counted). File no earlier than the 6th day after mailing.
Tenant can fix it?
Yes, within the notice period
Must include
  • Must be substantially in the form in R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56(a)
  • Tenant name(s) and address
  • The amount of rent that is 15 days in arrears
  • Demand that the tenant pay within 5 days of the date of mailing or the landlord may file an eviction
  • Landlord name, address, date and signature
How to serve
First-class mail; Hand it to the tenant in person. The statute runs the period from the date of mailing, so mail it (first-class mail; keep a certificate of mailing). Hand delivery in addition is fine.
Official form
Landlord's Five (5) Day Demand Notice (form in R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56(a); RI District Court form)
Law
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-35(a), 34-18-56(a)
  • After filing, a tenant who has not received a 5-day demand notice in the prior 6 months can still stop the eviction by paying all arrears plus court costs at or before the hearing (§ 34-18-35).
  • The complaint must use the statutory 'Complaint for Eviction for Nonpayment of Rent' form (§ 34-18-56(d)).
The tenant broke the lease or rules — Notice of Noncompliance with Rental Agreement (20-Day Notice)

For a material violation of the lease or of the tenant's duties, give a written notice of noncompliance in the statutory form: the tenant has 20 days to fix it, or the lease ends. If substantially the same violation happens again within 6 months, a 20-day notice with no chance to fix it may be used.

Notice of Noncompliance with Rental Agreement (20-Day Notice)

Notice period
20 days
Counting
20 calendar days after the notice is delivered (day of delivery not counted). The termination date must be at least 20 days away.
Tenant can fix it?
Yes, within the notice period
Must include
  • Must be substantially in the form in R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56(b)
  • The acts and omissions that are the breach
  • Statement that the lease will terminate on a stated date unless the breach is remedied within 20 days
  • Landlord name, date and signature
How to serve
Hand it to the tenant in person; First-class mail; Certified mail (return receipt). Deliver in hand or by mail; keep proof of delivery.
Official form
Notice of Noncompliance (form in R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56(b))
Law
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-36(a)-(b), 34-18-56(b)
  • Repeat within 6 months: 20-day notice with no right to cure (§ 34-18-36(e)).
The lease ended and the tenant stayed — no notice required

If the tenant stays after the fixed lease ends, the landlord may file without a statutory notice. Check the lease for any non-renewal notice requirement.

  • If the landlord accepted rent after the lease ended, a month-to-month tenancy may exist that requires a 30-day notice.
  • Double-check with the court: many practitioners still send a written notice of termination before filing a holdover case.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no fault) — Notice of Termination of Tenancy

A month-to-month tenancy is ended by written notice in the statutory form delivered at least 30 days before the termination date; week-to-week needs 10 days; year-to-year needs 3 months before the end of the year.

Notice of Termination of Tenancy

Notice period
30 days (week-to-week: 10 days, month-to-month: 30 days, year-to-year: 90 days)
Counting
Deliver at least 30 days before the termination date stated (10 days for weekly; 3 months before end of occupation year for year-to-year).
Tenant can fix it?
No
Must include
  • Must be substantially in the form in R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56(c)
  • Tenant name(s) and address
  • The termination date
  • Landlord name, date and signature
How to serve
Hand it to the tenant in person; First-class mail; Certified mail (return receipt). Deliver in writing to the tenant; certified mail or hand delivery with proof recommended.
Official form
Notice of Termination of Tenancy (form in R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56(c))
Law
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-37, 34-18-56(c)
  • Double-check with the court: Recent Rhode Island bills proposed longer notice for tenants 62 or older and other protections; confirm no newer amendments to § 34-18-37 apply.
Illegal activity, violence or serious damage — no notice required

If the tenant, a household member or a guest violates the tenant duties on criminal activity, drug activity or violence (§ 34-18-24(8)-(10)), the landlord does not need to send a notice of noncompliance and may file the eviction immediately.

  • The landlord must be able to prove the criminal or violent activity at the hearing.

How a tenant responds

Nonpayment cases: the summons lists a hearing date; the tenant may file an answer before or at the hearing, and must appear or be defaulted. Other cases (noncompliance, termination of tenancy, holdover): the tenant has 20 days from service to file a written answer with the court.

Deadline: 20 days after being served · Form: RI District Court Answer form for eviction (courts.ri.gov) · R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-35, 34-18-36(c), 34-18-37

City and local rules

  • No Rhode Island city (including Providence) adds its own eviction notice requirements.

Official court forms

Landlords

  • DC-63 — Eviction – Notice of Termination of Tenancy
  • DC-62 — Notice of Non-compliance
  • Complaint for Eviction for Non-Payment of Rent
  • DC-38 — Complaint for Eviction for Reason Other Than Non-payment of Rent

Tenants

  • DC-53 — Eviction – Answer (Defendant-Tenant)

All Rhode Island forms →

Sources

Checked 2026-09. General information, not legal advice; laws change and courts differ. We strive for accuracy but don’t guarantee it.