Typical residential security deposit amount a landlord holds and later accounts for on a return statement in Rhode Island (2026)
A typical Rhode Island range, the local factors behind it, and the tools to price your own project.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
What drives the cost in Rhode Island
Rhode Island deposits sit a little above the national typical range in Providence and the coastal towns and near it elsewhere. State law caps deposits at about one month's rent with a separate limit for furniture deposits, sets a 20-day return window with an itemized statement, and allows doubled damages, so confirm the current terms. Coastal exposure, cold winters, and a stock of older triple-deckers make salt air corrosion and plaster wear common and mostly the owner's cost.
Tips for Rhode Island buyers
- A 20-day window means the inspection happens on move-out day, with estimates standing in for pending invoices.
- Keep the furniture deposit separate on the statement since it has its own cap.
- Providence's college turnover in early summer needs pre-booked cleaners.
Ranges are hedged planning estimates derived from a national typical range and a local index, not quotes. A typical single deposit on a market-rate residential rental is commonly around one month's rent, which puts most deposits somewhere in this range; actual amounts vary widely with local rents, unit size, pets, and state caps, and this is a working reference rather than a survey figure.
Price your project
- Deposit Deduction Depreciation Calculator: Estimates how much of a carpet, paint, blind, or appliance replacement a landlord can fairly deduct from a security deposit once the item's age and normal wear are taken into account.
- Security Deposit Refund Statement Calculator: Adds up the deposit held, any interest owed, and each itemized deduction to show the exact refund due to the tenant or the balance the tenant still owes.
- Late Deposit Return Penalty Exposure Calculator: Shows landlords how many days remain before a state return deadline and what missing it could cost when a statute allows forfeited deductions or multiplied damages.