The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under R.I. Gen. Laws Section 34-18-19, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 20 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Rhode Island generally caps the deposit at 1 month's rent for unfurnished units, and the landlord usually has 20 days to send the refund and itemized statement before forfeiture and double-damages exposure become part of the dispute.
This dispute type
Once the Rhode Island deadline passes, the dispute stops being only about the deductions and becomes a deadline-compliance problem too. A landlord may still argue damage existed, but R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19 sets the clock for returning the balance and explaining any amount withheld.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: Landlord forfeits the right to retain; you can recover up to twice the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney's fees