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How to Handle Late Rent Payments in Rhode Island - Eviction Process

Oct 29

3 min read

Q: How should landlords handle late rent in Rhode Island?

A: The short answer is a careful balance between legal procedure and compassion.

This is one of the most common challenges landlords face, and how you handle late payments can make or break your investment. Even the best tenants can occasionally run into financial difficulties, so showing compassion is often the right first step.

Rhode Island is a moderately tenant-friendly state, although the process can be shorter than Massachusetts, collecting unpaid balances legally can still take long, so you don’t want to alienate your tenant during this time. While offering flexibility, you must also protect yourself by staying on top of every deadline. These are critical to building a nonpayment case if the situation escalates.

I’ve outlined our internal timeline at Longview Properties to help simplify the process. Each situation is different, and the timeline may take longer or shorter depending on your specific circumstances.

Rhode Island Late Rent Timeline and Eviction Process

1st – Rent Is Due

Rent is typically due on the first of the month unless your lease specifies otherwise. Make sure your lease clearly states the due date, grace period, acceptable payment methods, and late fee policy.

5th – Grace Period Ends

In our leases, we offer a four-day grace period. If rent has not been received by the fifth, send a friendly reminder. Keep the tone polite and professional. At this stage, many tenants have simply forgotten or are experiencing a short-term issue that can be quickly resolved.

In Rhode Island, there’s no statutory grace period unless stated in the lease, and late fees are allowed as long as they are reasonable and clearly written in the lease.

10th – Personal Outreach

Call the tenant directly. Ask if they are facing short-term problems, and if appropriate, connect them to rental assistance resources or discuss a short-term payment plan. Document all communication. Sometimes this conversation alone is enough to get things back on track.

15th – Serve a 5-Day Demand Notice for Nonpayment

If rent remains unpaid, issue a 5-Day Demand Notice for Nonpayment of Rent). This written notice is the formal start of the legal process. It tells the tenant they have five days to pay the overdue rent in full or face eviction proceedings. The notice must clearly state:

The amount owed and the due date
That the tenant can “cure” by paying within 5 days
That failure to do so may result in eviction being filed in District Court

Be sure to serve it properly, by hand delivery or certified mail and keep proof of service.

20th – File for Eviction (District Court Complaint)

If the tenant does not pay within the 5 days, you can file an Eviction Complaint for Nonpayment of Rent in your local District Court. Attach a copy of the 5-day notice, proof of delivery, your lease, and a rent ledger.

The court will then issue a summons and schedule a hearing, usually within 9-15 days from filing. Both you and the tenant will be notified of the hearing date.

+9-15 Days – Court Hearing and Judgment

It’s highly common and encouraged for the first court appearance to be some sort of a mediation session, where you can agree to a payment plan or move-out timeline that’s approved by the judge. If the tenant later defaults, judgment automatically enters in favor of the landlord, and you can request an Execution for Possession.

In Rhode Island, tenants have 5 days after judgment to appeal before the court issues the execution. Once that period expires, you can schedule the sheriff or constable to perform the eviction if needed.

The bottom line is that even in Rhode Island, the eviction process can take four to six weeks or longer. It’s highly recommended that you work with your tenant and your attorney at every step to reach a sensible agreement, inform them of their right to cure, and try to avoid this lengthy process that often results in legal fees and missed rent.

At Longview Properties, we make it a point to combine professionalism with empathy. We ensure every tenant has someone on our team they can talk to, someone who will guide them through the process, explain their options, and maintain a personal touch at every step. This approach helps resolve issues faster, keeps communication open, and preserves the relationship between tenant and landlord, even in difficult times.