What a Lease Cannot Say
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-17 — no waiver of the act, no confessed judgment, and three months' rent for using a lease known to break it
- Waiving rights or remedies under the act.
- Authorizing anyone to confess judgment on a claim from the lease.
- Paying the landlord's attorney's fees beyond what the act allows.
- Excusing or limiting the landlord's liability under law, or indemnifying the landlord for it.
A lease may not make the tenant agree to any of those, and such a term is unenforceable. A landlord who deliberately uses a lease known to contain one owes actual damages, up to three months' rent, and reasonable attorney's fees.
No convenience fee. A landlord may not charge a convenience fee on a rent payment, unless the landlord also accepts a way to pay that carries none.
A particular lease is a question for a licensed Rhode Island attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-17 — Prohibited provisions in rental agreements
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-61 — Convenience fees prohibited
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.