Twenty days: the deposit rule many landlords miss

When a tenancy ends, the clock starts. In Rhode Island a landlord has twenty days to return the deposit or send a written list of what has been kept and why.

What counts as a reason

Unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear. A carpet that is four years older than when you moved in is not damage. Nor is repainting between tenants.

If the twenty days pass

A landlord who misses the deadline can be ordered to pay back more than the deposit itself. That is usually enough to settle the matter with a single letter.

What to keep

Your move-out photographs, the date you returned the keys, and proof of the address you gave for the deposit to be sent to. With those three things most deposit disputes are over within a month.