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Landlord Retaliation Laws in Rhode Island

Rhode Island bars a landlord from raising rent, cutting services or bringing or threatening eviction in retaliation for code complaints, complaints to the landlord, tenant organizing or using other legal rights, and presumes retaliation if the tenant complained within 6 months before.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Rhode Island at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
Yes
Presumption period
6 months
The presumption does not arise if the tenant complained after notice of a proposed rent increase or service reduction.
Protected tenant actions
Code complaints, complaints to landlord, tenant unions, legal rights
Complaints to the landlord concern violations under R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-22.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Rhode Island

Does Rhode Island law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in Rhode Island: yes.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Rhode Island?

Presumption period in Rhode Island: 6 months. The presumption does not arise if the tenant complained after notice of a proposed rent increase or service reduction.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Rhode Island?

Protected tenant actions in Rhode Island: Code complaints, complaints to landlord, tenant unions, legal rights. Complaints to the landlord concern violations under R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-22.

Where do the Rhode Island landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-46. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.