Applying for an Apartment
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-59 — no application fee, and no charge for a background or credit check issued in the last ninety days
No application fee. A landlord, broker, property manager or anyone acting for them may not require a prospective tenant to pay a rental application fee.
A landlord may require an official state criminal background check and a credit check. An applicant who provides ones issued within ninety days of the application may not be charged for them.
An applicant who does not provide them may be charged no more than the actual cost of getting them, and receives a copy.
A particular application is a question for a licensed Rhode Island attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-59 — Fair limitation on rental application fees
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Rhode Island attorney.