Title 34
Property
Chapter 18
Residential Landlord and Tenant Act
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-15
§ 34-18-15. Terms and conditions of rental agreement.
(a) A landlord and a tenant may include in a rental agreement terms and conditions not
prohibited by this chapter or other rule of law, including rent, term of the agreement,
and other provisions governing the rights and obligations of the parties.
(1) 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.
(2) If there is no written lease, the landlord shall provide to the tenant, in writing,
a list of all fees beyond the rent that apply to the rental of the unit. Any change
in required fees must be disclosed in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the
change becoming effective.
(3) In any lease agreement the landlord shall disclose which utility costs are included
in the rent and which utility costs are the tenant’s responsibility. If there is no
written lease, the landlord shall provide this information to the tenant in writing.
(4) If a tenant is required to obtain renters insurance, this requirement must be stated
in the lease or if there is no written lease the landlord shall provide this information
to the tenant in writing.
(5) If a landlord fails to comply with subsections (a)(1) — (a)(4) of this section, the
tenant may recover any fees paid for the unit that were not disclosed as required.
(b) In absence of agreement, the tenant shall pay as rent the fair rental value for the
use and occupancy of the dwelling unit.