Download the Rhode Island Rental Application template to screen individuals who are interested in signing a lease for an apartment, home, condo, or other rental property. Landlords use the form to collect information on applicants, which is then compared to a set of screening criteria to see if they have the necessary qualifications to enter into a binding lease. In addition to collecting information, the form provides landlords with permission to conduct several screening checks, which give property managers an in-depth look into the applicant’s prior criminal, rental, and credit history to check for anything that would signal the tenant should not be allowed to rent.
Maximum Application Fee: None. Rhode Island law allows property managers to request a fee of their choosing for applications.
Security Deposits (§ 34-18-19): Landlords cannot charge more than one (1) month’s rent.* Once a lease has ended, a landlord has a maximum of twenty (20) days to return the full value (or the remainder of) the deposit. If there are deductions to be made, the landlord has to provide the tenant(s) with an itemized list of all deductions and their associated costs.
*For furnished apartments that have a total furniture value of $5,000 or greater, a separate furniture deposit can be required. The same rules for returning standard deposits apply to furniture deposits.