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Free Rhode Island Rental Application Form - Fill Online, Sign & Download the PDF
Rhode Island bans flat rental application fees and lets you reuse a state criminal background check or credit report for 90 days, one of the most renter-friendly screening windows in the country. Fill it out below with plain-English help on every field, then sign and download your completed PDF free.
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Rhode Island rental application rules to know
- •As of January 1, 2024, Rhode Island landlords cannot charge a flat rental application fee (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-59).
- •A landlord may still require an official state criminal background check (from the Bureau of Criminal Identification) and/or a credit check, but can charge no more than the actual cost, with no markup (§ 34-18-59).
- •If you provide a state criminal background check or credit report dated within the last 90 days, the landlord cannot charge you for a new one, though they may run their own at their own expense (§ 34-18-59).
- •Security deposits are capped at one month's rent (§ 34-18-19).
- •The landlord must return your deposit, minus any itemized deductions, within 20 days after you move out and provide a forwarding address. Wrongful withholding can cost the landlord twice the amount withheld plus your attorney's fees (§ 34-18-19).
- •Since 2021, Rhode Island bars housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 and other subsidies, though owner-occupied buildings of three or fewer units are exempt (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4.6).
- •If you rent a furnished unit where the furniture is worth $5,000 or more, the landlord may charge a separate furniture security deposit of up to one month's rent (§ 34-18-19).
Last reviewed 2026-07-15. General information, not legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a Rhode Island landlord charge an application fee?
No flat application fee is allowed (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-59). A landlord may require an official state background check and/or credit check but can charge only the actual cost, and cannot charge you at all if you supply your own report from the last 90 days.
What is the 90-day rule?
If you give the landlord a state criminal background check (from the BCI) or a credit report issued within the past 90 days, they cannot make you pay for a new one, though they may run their own at their own expense (§ 34-18-59). Rhode Island's 90-day window is among the longest in the U.S.
How much can the security deposit be?
No more than one month's rent (§ 34-18-19). A separate furniture deposit of up to one month's rent is allowed only for furnished units where the furniture is worth $5,000 or more.
How long does the landlord have to return my deposit?
20 days after the tenancy ends and you provide a forwarding address. If they wrongfully keep it, you can recover double the amount plus attorney's fees (§ 34-18-19).
Can I be turned down for using a Section 8 voucher?
No. Source-of-income discrimination is illegal statewide, though owner-occupied buildings of three or fewer units are exempt (§ 34-37-4.6). Landlords can still screen your credit, references, and ability to pay your share of rent.
Can a landlord ask about my criminal record?
Yes. Rhode Island routes criminal checks through official state (BCI) reports and limits what a landlord can charge, but there is no statewide ban on asking. Blanket criminal bans can still create Fair Housing Act disparate-impact liability, so records should be weighed individually.
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For landlords: the tenant application form and the rental verification form.