Rhode Island Just-cause eviction

Does a landlord need just cause to evict in Rhode Island?

The state landlord-tenant statute (R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), full text reviewed on 2026-10-17: section headings checked and the whole text searched for "just cause," "good cause," "for cause" and "without cause") has no general just-cause (good-cause) requirement for ending a tenancy. Local ordinances or other state or federal laws may still apply. The one exception is for tenants of foreclosed property: "a foreclosing owner shall not evict a tenant except for just cause" (§ 34-18-38.2).

Verified Source: R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act); § 34-18-38.2 · last checked 2026-10-17