R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 § 34-18-36

Eviction for noncompliance with rental agreement

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/15/2026Rhode IslandNotice to Quit/Terminate

Operative Text

R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 § 34-18-36
(a) Except as provided in this chapter, if there is a material noncompliance by the tenant
with the rental agreement or a noncompliance with § 34-18-24 materially affecting health and safety, the landlord shall deliver a written demand
notice to the tenant, in a form substantially similar to that provided in § 34-18-56(b), specifying:


(1) The acts and/or omissions constituting the breach of the rental agreement or of § 34-18-24;


(2) The acts, repairs, or payment of damages, which are necessary to remedy the breach;
and


(3) That unless the breach is remedied within twenty (20) days of mailing of the notice
the rental agreement shall terminate upon a specified date, which shall not be less
than twenty-one (21) days after the mailing of the notice.


(b) Unless it is a violation of § 34-18-24(8), (9), or (10), if the tenant adequately remedies the breach before the date specified
in the notice, the rental agreement shall not terminate. If the breach is not remedied,
the landlord may commence an eviction action, which shall be filed no earlier than
the first day following the termination date specified in the written demand notice.
The action shall be initiated by filing a "Complaint for Eviction for Reason Other
Than for Nonpayment of Rent" in the appropriate court according to the form in § 34-18-56(e).


(c) The summons shall be in the form provided in § 34-18-56(h) and shall specify that the tenant has twenty (20) days from the date of service in
which to file his or her answer to the complaint, and that if he or she fails to file
his or her answer within that time, he or she will be defaulted. The matter may be
assigned for hearing in accordance with the rules of procedure of the appropriate
court.


(d) Except as provided in this chapter, the landlord may recover possession, actual damages
and obtain injunctive relief for noncompliance by the tenant with the rental agreement
or § 34-18-24. If the tenant's noncompliance is willful, the landlord may recover reasonable attorney's
fees.


(e) If substantially the same act or omission which constituted a prior noncompliance,
of which good faith notice was given, recurs within six (6) months, the landlord may
terminate the rental agreement upon at least twenty (20) days' written notice, specifying
the breach and the date of termination of the rental agreement. No allowance of time
to remedy noncompliance shall be required.


(f) If the tenant has violated § 34-18-24(8), (9), or (10), or if the tenant (i) is a seasonal tenant occupying the premises pursuant
to a written lease agreement which commences no earlier than May 1st of the occupation
year and expires no later than October 15th of the occupation year, or commences no
earlier than September 1st and expires no later than June 1st of the next subsequent
year, with no right of renewal or extension beyond the above dates; and (ii) has been
charged with violating a municipal ordinance or has otherwise violated the terms of
the rental agreement pertaining to legal occupancy or excessive noise or other disturbance
of the peace, the landlord shall not be required to send a notice of noncompliance
to the tenant and may immediately file a complaint for eviction in a form substantially
similar to that provided in § 34-18-56(e) and seek the relief set forth in subsection (d).
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Rhode Island General Laws § 34-18-36 establishes the process by which a landlord may pursue eviction when a tenant materially violates a rental agreement or breaches health-and-safety obligations under § 34-18-24. Generally, the landlord must first deliver a written notice describing the violation and giving the tenant at least 20 days to correct it before any termination or court filing can proceed. If the tenant fixes the problem in time, the tenancy continues; if not, the landlord may file a formal eviction complaint in court. Certain serious violations—such as those under § 34-18-24(8), (9), or (10), or repeat offenses within six months—allow for expedited action with reduced or no cure period.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 15, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under § 34-18-36, compliant operators generally begin the process by serving a written demand notice that closely follows the statutory form in § 34-18-56(b), clearly identifying the specific breach, the corrective steps required, and the termination date (no fewer than 21 days after mailing). If the tenant does not remedy the issue within the 20-day cure window, the eviction complaint may be filed no earlier than the day after the stated termination date, using the form referenced in § 34-18-56(e). Operators also document whether a noncompliance is willful, since § 34-18-36(d) permits recovery of reasonable attorney's fees in those circumstances. For repeat violations of the same conduct within six months, or for violations of § 34-18-24(8), (9), or (10), the statute allows a shortened or eliminated notice-and-cure period.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section 34-18-36 gives tenants an important right to cure most lease violations within 20 days of receiving a written demand notice before a landlord can lawfully terminate the tenancy or file for eviction. Tenants who believe a notice does not comply with the statutory requirements—such as missing the required specifics about the alleged breach or failing to allow the full cure period—may be able to raise that noncompliance as a defense in eviction proceedings. If served with a court summons, § 34-18-36(c) provides 20 days from the date of service to file an answer, and failing to do so can result in a default judgment. Tenant-rights organizations in Rhode Island can help individuals understand whether a notice or complaint meets the procedural standards set out in this provision.

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

Current
Oct 15, 2026
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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18
R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-46
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-36
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-20
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-25
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-24
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-38
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-39
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-21
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-28
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-30
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-50
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-34
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-28
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-6
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-49
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-2.4
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-24
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-24
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-24
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-24
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-11
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-24
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-36
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-38.2
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-36
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-24
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-52
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-36
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-24
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-38
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-10
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-8
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-24

Related Rules

§ 31
Notice to quit for nonpayment of rent
§ 47a-15
Noncompliance by tenant. Remedy of breach by tenant. Landlord's remedies.
§ 8.71.040
Required notice

Source Information

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Fetched:Oct 15, 2026, 04:45 PM UTC