R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 § 34-18-18
Receipt of rent free of maintenance obligations forbidden
Operative Text
A rental agreement, assignment, conveyance, trust deed, or security instrument may not permit the receipt of rent free of the obligation to comply with § 34-18-22(a).
Rhode Island General Laws § 34-18-18 establishes that no rental agreement, assignment, conveyance, trust deed, or security instrument can be written in a way that allows a landlord to collect rent while being released from the duty to maintain the property as required under § 34-18-22(a). In other words, the maintenance obligations tied to a tenancy cannot be contractually waived or signed away, regardless of how the underlying document is structured. This rule ensures that the baseline duty to keep a rental property in a habitable and compliant condition travels with the right to receive rent.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 34-18-18, Rhode Island property owners and managers should be aware that no lease clause, assignment, or security instrument can strip away the maintenance obligations set out in § 34-18-22(a) in exchange for the continued right to collect rent. Compliant operators generally review their lease agreements and any related conveyance documents to confirm that no language purports to waive these statutory duties. Even if a document contains such a clause, Rhode Island law renders it unenforceable, meaning the underlying maintenance obligations remain in effect regardless of what the written instrument says.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 34-18-18 of Rhode Island General Laws protects tenants by making it impossible for a landlord to use a lease, assignment, or other instrument to opt out of the property-maintenance duties described in § 34-18-22(a) as a condition of receiving rent. If a lease contains language that appears to waive those obligations, tenants may have grounds to raise that provision's unenforceability as part of a housing complaint or legal proceeding. Tenants who believe their landlord is relying on such a clause to avoid maintenance responsibilities may wish to contact a local tenant-rights organization or consult with a housing attorney to understand the options available to them.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation