Lease Agreements in Rhode Island

Get an overview of what's included in our Rhode Island Lease Agreement

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Written by Tony
Updated over a week ago

TurboTenant’s Rhode Island lease agreement has been written and reviewed by Rhode Island lawyers and landlords. It’s been drafted to keep you compliant and covered as you rent out your property.

Overview

The Rhode Island lease agreement is split up into three sections.

  • Section 1 contains information specific to you, your tenants, your rental property, and the details of your lease. This is all information that you add during the lease creation process in TurboTenant.

  • Section 2 contains clauses in accordance with Rhode Island law. In order to stay compliant with the law, you will not be able to edit any details in Section 2.

  • Section 3 contains general clauses for landlords in the United States. It was drafted with best practices in mind for the landlord, tenant relationship. Like Section 2, you will not be able to edit these details.

While you may not edit all of the specifics directly, remember you can add additional provisions that supersede any existing language in the lease by using the Additional Provisions section. This gives you customization and flexibility should you have unique things you want to ensure are covered in your lease.

Section 1 - Custom to You

Section 1 contains the custom details relevant to you, your tenants, and your rental property— who is on the lease, rent amount, utilities, etc. You’ll add these details during the lease creation process

We’ve set up the lease agreement in a way that is easy for you and your tenants to understand. You’ll see the main details you’ve added to the summary table at the front of the lease agreement. The remaining items—like smoking, utilities, keys, etc.—are outlined in the rest of Section 1 as you can see in this example Rhode Island Lease Agreement.

Model Lease Agreement - Rhode Island - Google Docs - Google Chrome 2022-05-04 at 3.42.17 PM

Here are a couple of other items in Section 1 worth mentioning:

Additional Provisions: this is where you can add any property specific rules, necessary local clauses, or other specifics you want to include. We recommend that you review any additional provisions with a lawyer.

Lost Key: if your tenants do not return all keys to you when they move out then they are required to pay for the full cost of rekeying the property.

Section 2 - Specific to Rhode Island

Section 2 includes language that is specific to Rhode Island. In order to help make sure you stay compliant with local laws, we’ve not allowed you to edit the details here.

There are some clauses in Section 2 that we wanted to call out so you understand how it affects you and your tenants.

Late Fees - Section 2.1

Rent is due in full on the first day of each and every month. If the rent is not received on or before the 5th day of the month, you may charge your tenants a late fee of 5% of the total unpaid rent amount. So for example, if today is the 6th and your tenants have not paid their $1,000 monthly rent amount, then you may charge them a late fee of $50.

Security Deposit Provisions - Section 2.4

Security deposits requirements may vary quite a bit from state to state. In Rhode Island:

  • A landlord shall not demand or receive a deposit in an amount in excess of one month's rent for a rental agreement. A landlord who rents a furnished apartment may charge an additional one month’s rent deposit if the value of the furniture is five thousand dollars ($5,000) or greater.

Security deposit returns in Rhode Island also have some unique rules:

  • Landlord must return the security deposit within 20 days after the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

Entry/Access to Premises by Landlord - Section 2.8

Landlord shall have the right at all reasonable times during the Term of this Agreement to enter the Premises for the purpose of inspecting and exhibiting the Premises and all buildings and improvements thereon. In non-emergency situations, Landlord will make a good faith effort to notify Tenant at least two (2) days prior to entry by one of the following methods: telephone message, email message, or door hanger, and having made such good faith effort shall enter as necessary. In an emergency situation, or if a repair is requested by Tenant, Landlord is permitted to enter immediately without prior notice. Tenant understands that Landlord will typically commence showing the Premises to prospective tenants one hundred twenty (120) days or more before the expiration of the term of this Agreement, but may show the Premises to prospective tenants, purchasers, or lenders at any time. Landlord shall further have the right to display “for sale", "for rent", or "vacancy" signs in or about the Premises.

Absences - Section 2.9

Tenant is required to notify Landlord in writing of any anticipated absence from the Premises in excess of ten (10) days, and shall make arrangements for the Premises to be routinely checked on during absence. Such written notice must be provided no later than the first day of any such absence. Landlord may enter the Premises at any time for any reasonable purpose during Tenant’s absence.

Non Resident Landlord to Designate Agent - Section 2.15

If Landlord is not a resident of Rhode Island, they shall designate and continuously maintain an agent upon whom service may be made of any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served, including, but not limited to, notices of minimum housing code violations. The agent shall be a resident of Rhode Island or a corporation authorized to do business in Rhode Island. Landlord's designation shall be in writing, shall include the name and address of the agent, shall include the street address of each property designated to the agent, and shall be filed with the secretary of state and with the clerk of the city or town wherein the dwelling unit is located.

Section 3

The clauses in Section 3 are standard to most lease agreements. Along with the rest of the lease agreement, we worked with experienced landlords to make sure you are following best practices in your lease agreement.

Subletting - Section 3.1

Your tenant is not at all allowed to sublease the rental property without your written permission.

Altering or Improving the Property - Section 3.2

Your tenant cannot make any alterations or improvements—like repainting—without your written consent. Unless agreed upon, when they move out, the property must be in the same condition that it was in when they moved in.

Choice of Law - 3.11

The rental agreement will be governed and construed in accordance to Rhode Island's own laws. Also there is a requirement to consent to the use of the county courts in which the property is located.

Follow the Law (noise, drugs, etc.) - Section 3.14

Your tenant cannot break any law or ordinance (federal, state, or local) while on your rental property. This also includes a clause saying they are not allowed to be annoying or a nuisance to neighbors while on the property. Any of the above can be good grounds for terminating the lease agreement.

Missing something you want to make sure is included?

This article only includes an overview of some of the details included in the Rhode Island Lease Agreement. You can read the whole agreement and double-check for specific details by clicking this link to see an example of the agreement.

We wanted our lease agreement to handle the majority of use cases for landlords in Rhode Island. However, we do know that some rental situations are unique. If there are other specifics you want to outline in the lease agreement, you can do so in the Additional Provisions section while creating your lease agreement in TurboTenant. We recommend that you review them with a lawyer to ensure you stay compliant with the law.

Disclaimer: Changing some terms in the lease may conflict with state or local laws. If you make large edits, we recommend speaking with an attorney. Please have a look at your specific state lease agreement for more information. TurboTenant is not responsible for edits that are not compliant with state laws. TurboTenant is unable to provide legal advice.

DISCLAIMER: This lease agreement is not warrantied, either expressly or implied, by TurboTenant, Inc. as to their effectiveness or completeness. TurboTenant, Inc. does not provide legal advice. TURBOTENANT, INC. AND ITS SERVICES, DOCUMENTS, RECORDS, AND PRODUCTS ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ADVICE OF AN ATTORNEY. The user is advised to check all applicable state and federal laws before using this agreement, attachments, disclosures, forms, or parts thereof and to have them reviewed by competent legal counsel prior to use.

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