Rhode Island security deposit demand letter
Ask for your deposit with the Rhode Island law behind your request. Download the free PDF or Word template, or fill in your dates and figures below.
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Before sending in Rhode Island
Count from the last of three events
Rhode Island's 20-day period runs from termination, return of possession or provision of a forwarding address, whichever is last. Include all three in your timeline.
What records should support deductions?
No statutory receipt requirement; RI Legal Services recommends obtaining one as practical protection.
Make the free template yours.
Choose your situation, then add your figures. No account or payment. Unfilled details stay in brackets for you to edit.
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[Your name] [Your current mailing address] [Date] [Landlord or property manager name] [Address designated for notices] SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED RE: Request for return of security deposit - [rental property address] Dear [Landlord]: I vacated the property on [move-out date] and paid a security deposit of $[deposit amount]. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19: Itemized notice plus the amount due within 20 days after termination, delivery of possession, or the tenant's providing a forwarding address for receiving the deposit, whichever comes last. REQUEST Please return $[amount requested] of my deposit to the mailing address above. Please explain any deductions you maintain and provide the itemized statement and supporting records required by the applicable law. If the statutory conditions are met, under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(c), wrongful withholding makes you liable for the amount due together with damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney's fees. Please respond by [response date after any required notice or cure period]. This requested date does not shorten any applicable statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable requirements are satisfied, I intend to pursue the remedies available in small claims court. Sincerely, [Your signature] Enclosures: [List the records you are actually attaching.]
Review your dates and the records behind each charge before signing. The free analysis can help you assess disputed deductions and possible additional recovery.
From a blank request to a documented demand
See what your case documents add.
The free editor fills in your facts. The analysis reviews your charges and applicable rules; your paid case documents bring together the letter, damages summary and organized evidence checklist.
One charge, made specific.
Rhode Island example: repainting ordinary wall scuffs, $900. The example assumes the tenancy is covered by the cited law; no tenant result is implied.
A starting request
I disagree with the $900 charge for repainting ordinary wall scuffs. Please return that amount.
The free editor lets you add your own reasons and records.
In the generated letter
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
Records to attach: move-in photos and move-out photos.
State-law reference: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19 ↗The amount stays tied to the facts: $1,100 withheld - $200 in accepted charges = $900 disputed in this sample.
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Open PDF to zoom ↗Sample Rhode Island case. Letter and exhibit pages extracted from a generated case PDF. Your letter uses your own facts and state law.
Read the complete Rhode Island sample letter
Fictional Rhode Island case. Generated sample, not a court outcome or a substitute for your own letter.
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
[Fictional current mailing address]
September 08, 2026
Daniel Reed (fictional landlord)
[Fictional landlord mailing address]
SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL - RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
RE: Demand for return of security deposit - [Fictional Rhode Island rental address]
Dear Daniel Reed (fictional landlord):
I vacated the above rental property on August 01, 2026 and paid a security deposit of $2,000.00. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19 (Rhode Island Security Deposit Law), the applicable return rule is: Itemized notice plus the amount due within 20 days after termination, delivery of possession, or the tenant's providing a forwarding address for receiving the deposit, whichever comes last.
DISPUTED DEDUCTIONS
I dispute the following deductions under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19 for the reasons below. Please provide the records supporting each disputed charge, including the work, cost, and condition at issue. For replacement charges, explain the item's age and how you calculated the amount charged:
• Repainting ordinary wall scuffs - $900.00
Ordinary wear and tear - not deductible. Repainting after a tenancy is ordinary wear and tear unless the walls were damaged beyond normal use (large holes, unauthorized colors). Dated move-in and move-out photos help distinguish ordinary wear from tenant-caused damage.
I do not contest the following deductions, totaling $200.00: Unpaid rent balance ($200.00).
This demand does not cancel any accepted debt. Any separate claim or counterclaim must credit amounts already paid or retained toward that debt.
DEMAND
I demand payment of $900.00, the amount improperly withheld from my deposit.
This demand is limited to the amount improperly withheld. The applicable statutory remedy is conditional: under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19(c), wrongful withholding makes you liable for the amount due together with damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney's fees. I reserve the right to seek that remedy if its conditions are established in court.
Please deliver payment to the address above no later than September 22, 2026 (14 days from the date of this letter). This requested date does not shorten any statutory notice or cure period. If this remains unresolved after the applicable notice, service and waiting requirements are satisfied, I intend to file suit in small claims court. I have retained dated photographs of the property's condition, the lease, our correspondence, your itemized statement, the repair receipts you provided, and this demand letter.
Sincerely,
Maya Patel (fictional tenant)
Enclosures: Evidence exhibit listSend it with a record you can use.
Provide your forwarding address and request an itemized notice with the balance. Identify the rent, cleaning, trash or damage entries you dispute and attach the relevant records.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19: return and accounting ↗What happens after sending?
Use the latest triggering event when checking the response. Keep any partial refund separate from your unresolved objections.
They refund some or all of it
Save the payment record and update what remains disputed. Read any settlement or release before agreeing to it.
They reject the request or explain the deductions
Match each explanation to your lease and condition records. Reply with the specific amounts and reasons still disputed.
The letter comes back or nobody responds
Keep the envelope or tracking record. Check the address and required service method before using the Rhode Island filing guide. Attempted delivery may not complete statutory service.
Frequently asked questions
Which return deadline should my Rhode Island letter refer to?
Itemized notice plus the amount due within 20 days after termination, delivery of possession, or the tenant's providing a forwarding address for receiving the deposit, whichever comes last. Noncompliance means the tenant recovers the amount due together with damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus reasonable attorney fees (§ 34-18-19(c)); waiver clauses are void, and buyers of the property are bound.
What penalties does Rhode Island law allow if the withholding was wrongful?
The statute reads as the amount due together with damages equal to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney fees (§ 34-18-19(c)) - textually a 3x exposure. Note: in the only Rhode Island Supreme Court application (Tambor v. Miller, 2002), the court recited liability for 'twice that amount' and approved a 2x total, so our estimates use the conservative 2x total.
What happens if the landlord ignores the letter?
You can file in small claims court (limit: $5,000; filing fees about $75). Check required notices, filing deadlines and the court's rules before filing.
Rhode Island filing steps and court forms →