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Rental Application Fee Laws in Rhode Island

Rhode Island bans rental application fees since January 1, 2024; a landlord may charge only the actual cost of a required background check or credit report, and nothing if the applicant supplies one issued within 90 days.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Rhode Island at a glance

Fee limit
Application fees banned
Landlord may charge only the actual cost of a required state background check or credit report, unless the applicant provides one issued within 90 days.
Portable screening report rule
Yes, report within 90 days must be accepted

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Rhode Island

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in Rhode Island?

Fee limit in Rhode Island: Application fees banned. Landlord may charge only the actual cost of a required state background check or credit report, unless the applicant provides one issued within 90 days.

Does Rhode Island law address reusable (portable) tenant screening reports?

Yes, report within 90 days must be accepted. Portable screening report rule in Rhode Island: yes, report within 90 days must be accepted.

Where do the Rhode Island rental application fee laws come from?

The rules above come from R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-59. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Section 34-18-59 ("Fair limitation on rental application fees") took effect January 1, 2024. If the applicant has no recent report, the landlord may charge not more than the actual cost and must give the applicant a copy. The landlord may still order its own report at its own expense.

What this means in practice

Before collecting a fee, landlords can tell applicants in writing how much it is, what it pays for, and the screening criteria that will be used. Several statutes require some of this disclosure, and it also reduces disputes when an application is denied.

Keep a copy of the invoice or receipt from the screening company. Where the law ties the fee to actual cost or requires an itemized receipt, that record shows the fee was lawful.

Check local law as well as state law. In many states a city or county ordinance can set a lower limit or add refund and notice rules, and the stricter rule usually applies. A few states bar local rules on application fees.

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