Rhode Island eviction rules

Rhode Island eviction cases are usually filed as Eviction (Trespass and Ejectment). For non-payment of rent, the statewide notice period shown here is 5 days; lease-violation notices are listed at 20 days; no-cause termination notices are listed at 30 days.

The tenant-protection picture depends on cure rights, local overlays, and whether the tenancy is covered by a special program. Rhode Island gives tenants a statutory opportunity to cure non-payment before the landlord can proceed. Rhode Island does not have a broad statewide just-cause requirement in this dataset, but local ordinances or subsidized-housing rules may add one. Self-help eviction is not allowed as the normal route in Rhode Island; lockouts, utility shutoffs, and removal without court process can create liability. A typical uncontested case can move in roughly 30 to 60 days, but contested cases take longer.