Providence Landlord-Tenant Rules
Providence adds local rules on top of Rhode Island landlord-tenant law. Here is what is different, with the city code or agency page behind each rule.
| Tenant right to counsel | Providence does not have a guaranteed right to counsel. In August 2022 the City launched a one-year Providence Eviction Defense program, funded with $600,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act money and run by Rhode Island Legal Services with the Rhode Island Center for Justice, DARE and HousingWorks RI. It served residents earning 65% or less of area median income or living in a qualified census tract, and included a tenant help desk at the Sixth Division District Court in Providence. Rhode Island Legal Services: 401-274-2652. Whether the City still funds eviction defense in 2026, and on what terms, was not confirmed on an official page. |
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Eviction cases in Providence are heard in: Rhode Island District Court, 6th Division (Garrahy Judicial Complex), Providence
Right to a lawyer in eviction cases
No guaranteed right to counsel. A City-funded eviction defense program ran from 2022; its current status was not verified. Official source
Local agencies
- Rhode Island Legal Services — Lead partner in the City's eviction defense program; legal help for low-income tenants. 401-274-2652.
Frequently asked questions
What landlord-tenant rules does Providence add on top of Rhode Island law?
Tenant right to counsel: Providence does not have a guaranteed right to counsel. In August 2022 the City launched a one-year Providence Eviction Defense program, funded with $600,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act money and run by Rhode Island Legal Services with the Rhode Island Center for Justice, DARE and HousingWorks RI. It served residents earning 65% or less of area median income or living in a qualified census tract, and included a tenant help desk at the Sixth Division District Court in Providence. Rhode Island Legal Services: 401-274-2652.
← All Rhode Island landlord-tenant rules
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.