By the LeaseHelper editorial team
Rhode Island law requires landlords to deliver at least seven specific disclosures — in writing, before the tenancy begins — and missing even one can expose you to tenant remedies, forfeited fees, and personal liability.
This guide walks through every required disclosure under Rhode Island's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (R.I. Gen. Laws Title 34, Chapter 18), plus the one often-overlooked federal requirement that applies to most pre-1978 rental housing in the state. You'll also find the penalty consequences for each omission, a quick-reference comparison table, and a decision tree for the most confusing items.
What is the legal foundation for Rhode Island lease disclosures?
Rhode Island's landlord-tenant laws are found in the Rhode Island Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (Title 34, Chapter 18). That chapter sets out disclosure duties that run from the moment you sign a lease agreement — oral or written — through the life of the tenancy. The statute applies to virtually all residential rentals in the state; it's not limited to large apartment complexes or professional managers.
The disclosures fall into two buckets: state-law requirements under Chapter 34-18, and one federal requirement under 42 U.S.C. § 4852d that applies nationwide to housing built before 1978. You need to satisfy both. Failing a state-law requirement typically gives tenants a remedy against you personally; failing the federal lead-paint requirement can bring EPA and HUD enforcement. Neither is theoretical risk — both are enforced.
Before renting out a property in Rhode Island, landlords must provide tenants with disclosures required by both federal and state law. These disclosures promote transparency, protect tenant safety, and ensure tenants are informed about the property's condition and management. Failure to comply with these legal obligations can lead to legal consequences or invalidate parts of the lease.
Which disclosures does Rhode Island state law require at lease signing?
There are six core state-law disclosures. Here's each one with the controlling statute.
1. Owner and manager identity. A landlord or any person authorized to enter into a rental agreement on his or her behalf shall disclose to the tenant in writing, at or before the commencement of the tenancy, the name, address, and number of: (1) the person authorized to manage the premises; and (2) an owner of the premises or a person authorized to act for and on behalf of the owner for the purpose of service of process and receiving and receipting for notices and demands. This is R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-20. The practical tip from practitioners: put this information directly in the body of the lease so you can prove you delivered it. The information required to be furnished by this section shall be kept current. This section extends to and is enforceable against any successor landlord, owner, or manager. If you sell the property or change managers mid-tenancy, you must update the tenant.
2. Utility responsibilities. The lease must contain information about which utilities are the responsibility of the tenant and which are the responsibility of the landlord. For oral leases, the disclosure must be in writing. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-15 (2025).) Don't assume this is obvious. If heat, water, or electricity arrangements are non-standard, spell them out explicitly in the lease.
3. All fees beyond base rent (effective January 1, 2025). Effective January 1, 2025, landlords in Rhode Island are prohibited from charging tenants convenience fees for rent payments unless they also offer at least one rent payment method that does not incur such a fee. Additionally, all fees beyond base rent must be clearly disclosed in the lease agreement. If there is no written rental agreement, landlords must provide a written list of fees and utility responsibilities. This requirement comes from 2024 Public Law Chapter 309. Failure to follow these disclosure rules allows tenants to recover any undisclosed fees they've paid. That's a direct financial clawback — not just a slap on the wrist.
4. Renters insurance requirement. Any requirement that the tenant obtain renters' insurance must be stated in the lease. For oral leases, the disclosure must be in writing. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-15 (2025).) If you want tenants to carry their own renter's policy, the obligation to buy that policy cannot be implied or communicated verbally — it must appear in writing.
5. Known housing code violations. Before entering into any rental agreement, the landlord must inform prospective tenants of any outstanding minimum housing code violations that exist on the premises. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22.1 (2025).) This disclosure requirement does not apply if the landlord corrects all violations within the 30-day period. If you have open violations, disclose them or fix them — those are your only two compliant paths.
6. General liability insurance declaration page. This one surprises many small landlords. The landlord shall provide a copy of the declaration page from the carrier showing the policy to the tenant with the written lease at the beginning of the tenancy and shall provide a new copy with each policy renewal to the tenant. This is codified at R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22. Landlords must provide with the lease a copy of the declaration page from the landlord's general liability policy, and must provide tenants with a new copy each time the policy is renewed. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22 (2025).) Renewal means every year, in most cases. Put a tickler in your calendar.
7. Foreclosure notice (conditional). A landlord who becomes delinquent on a mortgage securing real estate upon which the dwelling unit is located for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days shall notify the tenant that the property may be subject to foreclosure; and until the foreclosure occurs the tenant must continue to pay rent to the landlord as provided under the rental agreement. This is R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-20(d). Most self-managing small landlords won't hit this threshold, but it's a statutory duty if they do.
What is the federal lead-paint disclosure requirement?
Any residential property built before 1978 triggers a mandatory federal disclosure under 42 U.S.C. § 4852d, regardless of state law. Rhode Island has substantial pre-1978 housing stock, so this applies to a large share of small landlords in the state.
Landlords must include information about lead-based paint hazards in the rental agreements for most properties built before 1978. Sellers and landlords must distribute an EPA-approved information pamphlet called "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home" and disclose any known lead hazards in the property.
Rhode Island adds a parallel state-level layer. Rhode Island State Law: 216-RICR-50-15-3 Section 3.8 of the Rules and Regulations of the R.I. Department of Health and Lead Hazard Mitigation Standards requires the Lessor (Landlord) of any interest in residential property on which a residential dwelling was built prior to 1978 to disclose lead hazard information to lessees. The lease itself must contain a Lead Warning Statement, the landlord must disclose any known hazards or inspection reports, and the tenant must sign an acknowledgment. The lessor, and any agent, shall retain a copy of the completed attachment or lease contract containing the information required for no less than 3 years from the commencement of the leasing period.
Quick-Reference: All Rhode Island Lease Disclosures at a Glance
| Disclosure | Statute | Timing | Who It Applies To | Penalty for Omission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner & manager identity | § 34-18-20 | At or before lease start | All landlords | Person signing lease becomes landlord's agent; personal liability for landlord obligations |
| Utility responsibilities | § 34-18-15 | In the lease (or in writing if oral) | All landlords | Tenant noncompliance defense; disputed utility charges unenforceable |
| All fees beyond rent | 2024 P.L. Ch. 309 (eff. 1/1/2025) | In the lease (or in writing if no lease) | All landlords | Tenant may recover all undisclosed fees paid |
| Renters insurance requirement | § 34-18-15 | In the lease (or in writing if oral) | Only if landlord requires insurance | Requirement unenforceable against tenant |
| Known housing code violations | § 34-18-22.1 | Before rental agreement | All landlords with open violations | Tenant remedy for nondisclosure; habitability claims strengthened |
| General liability ins. dec. page | § 34-18-22 | With lease; again at each renewal | All landlords | Noncompliance with landlord obligations under § 34-18-22 |
| Foreclosure notice | § 34-18-20(d) | When 120+ days mortgage-delinquent | Mortgaged property landlords in default | Tenant remedies under § 34-18-20 |
| Lead-paint hazard disclosure | 42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 216-RICR-50-15-3 | Before tenant is obligated under lease | Pre-1978 properties only | Civil penalties up to $11,000/violation; EPA/HUD enforcement |
What are the security deposit disclosure rules landlords often confuse?
The security deposit in Rhode Island is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19, and while it isn't a "disclosure" document the way the items above are, landlords routinely conflate deposit rules with disclosure rules — so it's worth clarifying here.
Rhode Island has a statutory limit on how much landlords can charge for a security deposit. A landlord may not demand or receive a security deposit that's more than one month's rent. A landlord who is renting a furnished apartment where the replacement value of the furniture is $5,000 or more can charge a separate furniture security deposit of up to one month's rent. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19 (2025).) Note that the furniture threshold is pegged to replacement value at the time the lease is executed — not original cost.
In Rhode Island, landlords can charge a pet deposit, except for service dogs and emotional support animals. However, the total of all deposits cannot exceed one month's rent by default. Landlords cannot exceed the limit by giving them another name like "pet deposit" or "damage deposit." This is a frequent mistake: labeling extra money as a "pet fee" doesn't make it legal if the combined total exceeds one month's rent.
On the back end, upon termination of the tenancy, the amount of security deposit due to the tenant shall be the entire amount given by the tenant as a security deposit, minus any amount of unpaid accrued rent, the amount due for reasonable cleaning expenses, the amount due for reasonable trash disposal expenses, and the amount of physical damages to the premises, other than ordinary wear and tear, all as itemized by the landlord in a written notice delivered to the tenant. The landlord shall deliver the notice, together with the amount of the security deposit due to the tenant, within twenty (20) days after the later of either termination of the tenancy, delivery of possession, or the tenant's providing the landlord with a forwarding address.
Miss that 20-day deadline and the consequences are severe: if landlords do not return the security deposit within the 20-day period, tenants can file for damages in court up to twice the amount of the deposit plus attorneys' fees.
What are the most common mistakes Rhode Island landlords make with disclosures?
Based on the structure of the statutes themselves — and where the penalties are sharpest — a clear pattern of high-risk omissions emerges for self-managing small landlords.
Forgetting the insurance declaration page. Most landlords know they need to carry general liability insurance. Far fewer know they're required to hand a copy of the declaration page to every tenant at lease signing and again at every renewal under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22. This is a recurring, ongoing obligation — not a one-time check at move-in.
Charging fees that aren't in the lease. Since January 1, 2025, any fee beyond base rent must be in the lease (or in a separate written list if there's no written lease). If there are fees beyond the rent that apply to the rental of a unit, the lease shall disclose those fees in the same section as the rent disclosure and shall indicate that additional fees may apply. This requirement does not apply whenever the tenant or unit are receiving state or federal subsidies that require a different lease format. Charging an undisclosed trash fee, late fee structure, or portal fee after the tenancy starts creates a direct recovery right for the tenant.
Collecting more than one month's security deposit. Some landlords charge first month's rent, last month's rent, and a security deposit. Landlord may not collect a security deposit, however denominated, in excess of one month's rent. First and last month's rent, plus a security deposit violates the Act!
Skipping the lead disclosure on older properties. Rhode Island has significant pre-1978 housing. This law covers various types of residential buildings, including single-family homes and units within larger multi-unit structures. The rules apply to private sellers, landlords, and housing receiving federal assistance. There is no small-landlord exemption from federal lead-paint disclosure requirements.
What happens if a non-resident landlord skips the agent designation?
If you own rental property in Rhode Island but don't live in the state, there's an additional obligation on top of the standard § 34-18-20 disclosure. All nonresident landlords must designate a local agent for notice of process, demand, and/or notice of housing code violations. Such notice shall include the name and address of the resident agent and the referenced property address (§ 34-18-22.3).
The consequence of skipping the § 34-18-20 disclosure is sharp: if requirements are not met, then the person signing the lease becomes the landlord's agent to receive service, and notices, and is liable for all of the landlord's obligations. For a property manager who signs leases on behalf of an out-of-state owner, that means personal exposure for the owner's legal duties — including habitability claims, security deposit disputes, and code violations — if the identification disclosure is incomplete.
Out-of-state landlords should also be aware that the RI Secretary of State registration requirement under § 34-18-22.3 runs in parallel to the tenant disclosure requirement — both must be satisfied.
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We build state-compliant lease, eviction, and rental document generators for small landlords and property managers. We publish guides on landlord-tenant law, security deposits, and evictions, updated as state regulations change.
Get started →Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give my tenant a copy of my insurance every single year?
Yes. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22, you must provide the declaration page from your general liability policy to the tenant at the start of the tenancy and again with each policy renewal. Most annual policies renew once a year, so this is effectively a yearly obligation. There's no grace period in the statute for late delivery, and noncompliance puts you in breach of your § 34-18-22 obligations. Build a calendar reminder for your renewal date and deliver the updated dec page within a few days of receiving it from your insurer.
I don't have a written lease — am I still required to make disclosures?
Yes. Rhode Island's disclosure rules explicitly cover oral leases. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-15, utility responsibilities and any renters insurance requirement must be provided in writing even when there's no written lease agreement. The 2024 Public Law Chapter 309 fee disclosure rule (effective January 1, 2025) also requires a written list of all fees beyond rent when no written lease exists. The owner/manager identity disclosure under § 34-18-20 applies regardless of lease form. Running a tenancy without a written lease doesn't reduce your disclosure burden — it just makes delivering those disclosures more cumbersome.
My building was built in 1980. Do I need to do anything for lead paint?
No federal or state lead-paint disclosure obligation applies. The federal requirement under 42 U.S.C. § 4852d and Rhode Island's parallel rule under 216-RICR-50-15-3 apply only to residential properties built before 1978. A 1980 construction falls outside that window entirely. You should still verify your property's construction date — building records and tax assessor files are the most reliable sources — because the exemption turns on the actual build date, not your belief about it.
Can I charge a pet deposit on top of my one-month security deposit?
Not if the combined total exceeds one month's rent. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19, the maximum security deposit is one month's rent, regardless of what you call the money. A "pet deposit," "damage deposit," or any other named charge that functions as a deposit counts toward that cap. The only exception is a separately structured furniture security deposit for furnished units where the furniture's replacement value exceeds $5,000, which can add up to one additional month's rent. For service animals and emotional support animals, you may not charge any pet deposit at all under fair housing rules.