LOCAL RULES

Rhode Island rental inspection report requirements

Your Rhode Island rental inspection report has 2 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • The 20-day itemized written notice with the balance
  • Two days' notice before entering to inspect
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Rhode Island spells out exactly what can come out of a deposit: unpaid rent, reasonable cleaning, reasonable trash disposal, and physical damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, all itemized in a written notice within 20 days. Furnished apartments can carry a separate furniture deposit. Here is each rule with a link to the Rhode Island General Laws, and how walkthrough notes become a report that maps onto those categories.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Rental inspectionRHODE ISLAND / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 87 words

Move-in inspection
Address: 22 Cedar Court, Unit 4B, Providence, RI
Date: 2026-09-30
Landlord: Pinecrest Property Management
Tenant: Jordan Lee and Priya Raman
...
FREE PREVIEW OF THESE NOTES
79%of your draft is ready from these notes

We sorted 13 items into 6 sections and flagged 5 to fix soon.

  • Fix soonLiving and dining areas

    Carpet has a stain near the sofa wall.

  • Fix soonKitchen

    Dishwasher not working.

  • Fix soonKitchen

    Counter chipped near the sink.

2 Rhode Island rules on your checklist, including the 20-day itemized written notice with the balance.

Still to add

  • RecommendedNotes for entry and hallways
  • RecommendedNotes for laundry and utility

Filled in for you

Inspection typeMove-in
Rental unit address22 Cedar Court, Unit 4B, Providence, RI
Inspection dateSep 30, 2026
Landlord or property managerPinecrest Property Management
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What Rhode Island requires

  • From the deposit the landlord may deduct unpaid accrued rent, reasonable cleaning expenses, reasonable trash disposal expenses, and physical damage to the premises other than ordinary wear and tear caused by the tenant's breach of the tenant's dutiesR.I. Gen. Laws s. 34-18-19 (b)
  • The landlord delivers a written notice itemizing the deductions, with the amount due to the tenant, within 20 days after the latest of the end of the tenancy, delivery of possession, or the tenant giving a forwarding address for the depositR.I. Gen. Laws s. 34-18-19 (b)
  • A landlord who does not comply owes the amount due plus damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld and reasonable attorney fees; a rental agreement cannot waive these rulesR.I. Gen. Laws s. 34-18-19 (c) and (h)
  • For a furnished apartment whose landlord-supplied furniture had a replacement value of at least 5,000 dollars when the lease was signed, a separate furniture deposit of up to one month's rent may be taken; it can cover reasonable cleaning and repair and physical damage to the furniture other than ordinary wear and tear, on the same 20-day timelineR.I. Gen. Laws s. 34-18-19 (e) and (f)
  • The tenant keeps the part of the premises they use as clean and safe as its condition permits, disposes of garbage and waste cleanly and safely, keeps plumbing fixtures clean, and does not deliberately or negligently damage the premisesR.I. Gen. Laws s. 34-18-24
  • The tenant may not unreasonably refuse entry for an inspection; except in an emergency or where impracticable, the landlord gives at least two days' notice and enters only at reasonable timesR.I. Gen. Laws s. 34-18-26 (a) and (c)

Four categories of deduction

From the deposit the landlord may deduct unpaid accrued rent, reasonable cleaning expenses, reasonable trash disposal expenses, and physical damage to the premises, other than ordinary wear and tear, caused by the tenant's breach of the tenant's duties. Those duties include keeping the space as clean and safe as its condition permits, disposing of waste cleanly, and not deliberately or negligently damaging the premises.

Because cleaning, trash and damage are separate lines, a move-out report that records them separately makes the itemized notice straightforward.

The 20-day itemized notice

The landlord delivers a written notice itemizing the deductions, with the amount due to the tenant, within 20 days after the latest of the end of the tenancy, delivery of possession, or the tenant giving a forwarding address for the deposit.

A landlord who does not comply owes the amount due plus damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld and reasonable attorney fees, and no rental agreement can waive these rules.

Furnished apartments

Where the landlord-supplied furniture had a replacement value of at least 5,000 dollars when the lease was signed, the landlord may take a separate furniture deposit of up to one month's rent. It covers reasonable cleaning and repair and physical damage to the furniture other than ordinary wear and tear, on the same 20-day timeline. Listing each piece and its condition at move-in is what makes that deposit workable.

Inspections during the tenancy

The tenant may not unreasonably refuse entry for an inspection. Except in an emergency or where impracticable, the landlord gives at least two days' notice and enters only at reasonable times.

From walkthrough notes to a finished Rhode Island report

At move-out, note each room's cleanliness, anything left behind, any damage and the condition of any furniture you supplied. ReportDraft writes it up room by room with cleaning, trash, damage and furniture as separate findings, ready for the itemized notice, and leaves lines for the landlord and the tenant to sign.

Common mistakes

  • Lumping cleaning, trash and damage into one unexplained deduction.
  • Missing the 20 days after the latest of tenancy end, possession or forwarding address.
  • Charging for ordinary wear and tear.
  • Taking a furniture deposit when the furniture's replacement value is below the threshold.
  • Entering for an inspection with less than two days' notice.

Sources

Last reviewed October 10, 2026. Next review due January 10, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.