Rhode Island Eviction Laws
Rhode Island notice periods for ending a tenancy and starting an eviction, each as LeaseCraft read it in the statute at the official source, with its citation and read date (most recently ).
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Rhode Island notice periods
Periods are as the statute states them: some are minimums, some apply unless the lease sets another. "Lease controls" means there is no statutory period; "No pre-suit notice" means none is required before filing.
| Situation | Notice period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid rent | 5 calendar days |
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35; § 34-18-56(a)
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| Lease violation | 20 calendar days |
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-36(a), (b), (e), (f); § 34-18-56(b)
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| Ending the tenancy without a chance to cure | No pre-suit notice |
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-36(e), (f); § 34-18-24(8)-(10)
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| Ending a month-to-month tenancy | 30 calendar days |
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37(b); § 34-18-56(c)
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| Tenant staying after the lease ends | No pre-suit notice |
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-38
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| Ending a week-to-week tenancy | 10 calendar days |
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37(a)
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What the Rhode Island statute says
Unpaid rent 5 calendar days
- Minimum-late requirement: rent must be 'due and in arrears for fifteen (15) days' before the landlord may send the demand notice (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35(a)).
- Landlord sends a written demand notice 'in a form substantially similar to that provided in § 34-18-56(a)' stating the arrears and that the agreement terminates unless the tenant 'cures the breach within five (5) days of the date of mailing'.
- Clock runs from the date of mailing (first-class mail per the statutory form's certification), not from receipt.
Lease violation 20 calendar days
- Written demand notice specifying the acts/omissions constituting the breach, what is needed to remedy it, and 'that unless the breach is remedied within twenty (20) days of mailing of the notice the rental agreement shall terminate upon a specified date, which shall not be less than twenty-one (21) days after the mailing of the notice' (§ 34-18-36(a)); form in § 34-18-56(b).
- Eviction may be filed no earlier than the first day after the termination date in the notice (§ 34-18-36(b)).
Exceptions
- Recurrence of substantially the same breach within six months: landlord may terminate 'upon at least twenty (20) days' written notice' with no cure (§ 34-18-36(e)).
- Violations of § 34-18-24(8)-(10) (crimes of violence, drug offenses on premises) and seasonal tenants charged with crimes: no notice of noncompliance required; landlord 'may immediately file a complaint for eviction' (§ 34-18-36(f)).
Ending the tenancy without a chance to cure No pre-suit notice
- For tenant violations of § 34-18-24(8), (9) or (10) (criminal violence, drug manufacturing/dealing/possession on the premises) and for seasonal tenants charged with crimes, 'the landlord shall not be required to send a notice of noncompliance to the tenant and may immediately file a complaint for eviction' (§ 34-18-36(f)).
- Repeat of a cured breach within six months: at least 20 days' written notice, no cure (§ 34-18-36(e)).
Ending a month-to-month tenancy 30 calendar days
- Month-to-month tenancy: written notice given 'at least thirty (30) days before the date specified in the notice' (§ 34-18-37(b)); statutory form in § 34-18-56(c).
Exceptions
- Year-to-year: at least three (3) months before the end of the occupation year (§ 34-18-37(c)).
Tenant staying after the lease ends No pre-suit notice
- After expiration of the term or termination of a periodic tenancy, the landlord 'may commence an eviction action, which may be filed no earlier than the first day following the expiration or termination of the tenancy' — no separate holdover notice (§ 34-18-38(a)).
- 2024 amendment (P.L. 2024 ch. 409/410, eff. June 28, 2024) adds a post-death grace period allowing a deceased tenant's live-in caregiver/household members 18+ to remain up to three months or the remaining term.
Ending a week-to-week tenancy 10 calendar days
- Week-to-week tenancy: written notice 'at least ten (10) days before the termination date specified in the notice' (§ 34-18-37(a)).
Just cause, delivery, form and local rules in Rhode Island
How the notice may be delivered
Demand notices under §§ 34-18-35 and 34-18-36 run from the 'date of mailing'; the statutory forms carry a certification that the notice was placed 'in regular U.S. mail, first class postage prepaid' addressed to the tenant at the premises (§ 34-18-56), so first-class mail is the statutory method (hand delivery is also generally recognized under the Act's notice rules — not verified).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35(a); § 34-18-36(a); § 34-18-56 · read
Required form or contents
Statutory forms: § 34-18-56 sets out the Five (5) Day Demand Notice for nonpayment (a), Notice of Noncompliance/20-day demand (b), and Notice of Termination of Tenancy (c) — notices 'in substantially the following language' suffice; § 34-18-35 requires the nonpayment notice to be 'in a form substantially similar to' § 34-18-56(a). https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/statutes/title34/34-18/34-18-56.HTM
- No rental-assistance or legal-aid statements are required in the statutory forms.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56(a)-(c); § 34-18-35(a) · read
Statewide just-cause rule
No statewide just-cause requirement
- No statewide just-cause requirement; periodic tenancies end on § 34-18-37 notice and holdover after expiration is a ground under § 34-18-38 without further notice.
For Rhode Island landlords
- Find the period for your situation in the table above and count it from the day the notice is delivered.
- Deliver the notice the way Rhode Island law allows and keep a record of how and when.
- A notice is not a court order and does not by itself remove a tenant.
For Rhode Island tenants
- Compare the notice you received with the period for its situation in the table above and the date it reached you.
- A notice is not a court order. If a case is filed, the court papers say how and by when to respond.
- Local legal aid and tenant organizations can explain your options.
How an eviction generally proceeds
A general outline, not Rhode Island law: the steps, their names and their deadlines differ by state and court. The Rhode Island rules LeaseCraft has verified are the ones above.
- Written notice. The landlord gives the notice the situation calls for and waits out its period.
- Court filing. If the tenant has not paid, cured or left, the landlord files an eviction case in court.
- Hearing. Both sides can be heard; the tenant may raise defenses such as an improper notice.
- Judgment. The court decides who has the right to the property.
- Removal. If the court rules for the landlord, removal follows its order. A notice is not a court order and does not by itself remove a tenant.
Rhode Island eviction questions
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5 calendar days, under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35; § 34-18-56(a). Minimum-late requirement: rent must be 'due and in arrears for fifteen (15) days' before the landlord may send the demand notice (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35(a)). LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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20 calendar days, under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-36(a), (b), (e), (f); § 34-18-56(b). Written demand notice specifying the acts/omissions constituting the breach, what is needed to remedy it, and 'that unless the breach is remedied within twenty (20) days of mailing of the notice the rental agreement shall terminate upon a specified date, which shall not be less than twenty-one (21) days after the mailing of the notice' (§ 34-18-36(a)); form in § 34-18-56(b). LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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30 calendar days, under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37(b); § 34-18-56(c). Month-to-month tenancy: written notice given 'at least thirty (30) days before the date specified in the notice' (§ 34-18-37(b)); statutory form in § 34-18-56(c). LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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Demand notices under §§ 34-18-35 and 34-18-36 run from the 'date of mailing'; the statutory forms carry a certification that the notice was placed 'in regular U.S. mail, first class postage prepaid' addressed to the tenant at the premises (§ 34-18-56), so first-class mail is the statutory method (hand delivery is also generally recognized under the Act's notice rules — not verified). Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35(a); § 34-18-36(a); § 34-18-56. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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No statewide just-cause requirement, under R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-37, 34-18-38. No statewide just-cause requirement; periodic tenancies end on § 34-18-37 notice and holdover after expiration is a ground under § 34-18-38 without further notice. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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10 calendar days, under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37(a). Week-to-week tenancy: written notice 'at least ten (10) days before the termination date specified in the notice' (§ 34-18-37(a)). LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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Cities and counties can add rules. LeaseCraft is not a law firm and this is not legal advice.