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Rhode Island landlord entry laws

How much notice your landlord owes you before coming in, when they may enter without it, and what Rhode Island law lets you do about it.

Notice required

2 days — not 24 hours

At least two days' notice of intent to enter, and entry only at reasonable times.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-26

When they may enter without notice

Entry without consent is allowed in an emergency, and during any absence of more than seven days if reasonably necessary to protect the property.

What you can do about a violation

Injunctive relief to prevent it recurring, or termination. The prevailing party recovers actual damages and shall be awarded costs and reasonable attorney's fees

Worth knowing: That fee award runs in either direction, so a tenant who loses can owe the landlord's fees.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-45

What to do right now

Rhode Island requires two days, not one. And weigh the fee rule honestly before suing: it favours whoever wins, not automatically the tenant.

Put it in writing

We'll write a letter citing R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-26, listing each entry with its date and time, and stating what the statute provides. Free to generate and download.

Write my Rhode Island entry letter

Other Rhode Island tenant rights

Landlords who get one of these wrong often get another wrong too.

Rhode Island security deposit lawHow long your landlord has to return it, and what they owe if they don't.Rhode Island landlord repair lawsWhat your landlord must fix, how long they get, and your options if they don't.

How this page was checked

  • Read from the source. Every deadline, cap and penalty here was taken from Rhode Island's published text — the statute, session law or administrative code itself.
  • No legal-information websites. Commercial summaries were used only to find a provision, never as authority for it. An automated check fails our build if any state we serve cites a secondary source.
  • Locked against drift. The verified figures are pinned by regression tests, so a later edit cannot quietly change a deadline or a penalty.
  • Last verified August 21, 2026. Laws change — confirm the current text before relying on it.

General information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm.

Compare all 51 jurisdictions — notice periods range from 12 hours to 72, and thirteen states have no rule at all.