R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18.1 § 34-18.1-5
Quitting by tenants by parol for less than one year
Operative Text
Tenants by parol of lands, buildings, or parts of buildings covered by this chapter, for any term less than a year, shall quit at the end of the term upon notice in writing from the landlord, given at least half the period of the term, but not exceeding three (3) months, prior to the expiration of the term.
Under Rhode Island General Laws § 34-18.1-5, a tenant renting on a verbal (parol) lease for a term shorter than one year is required to vacate at the end of that term if the landlord provides written notice. The notice must be given at least half the length of the rental term in advance, but the required notice period never needs to exceed three months. This rule sets the minimum written-notice window a landlord must observe before a short-term verbal tenancy can be brought to a close.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 34-18.1-5, landlords who have verbal rental agreements for terms under one year should provide written notice to the tenant if they intend to end the tenancy at the term's conclusion. Compliant operators calculate the required notice period as at least half the length of the rental term—for example, two weeks' notice for a one-month verbal lease—while recognizing that the notice period never needs to exceed three months. Keeping dated copies of any written notices is a common practice that helps document compliance with this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 34-18.1-5 of Rhode Island law provides that a landlord must give you written notice—at least half the length of your verbal lease term, up to a maximum of three months—before requiring you to vacate at the end of a short-term parol tenancy. If a landlord attempts to require you to quit without providing the required written notice within the proper timeframe, that failure to comply with § 34-18.1-5 may be relevant to any dispute about the tenancy's end. Tenants who believe proper notice was not given may consider consulting a tenant-rights organization or reviewing available remedies under Rhode Island's landlord-tenant statutes.
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 Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation