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
In Rhode Island, renters usually challenge deposit deductions for scuffs, faded paint, flattened carpet, and similar aging because those issues look more like ordinary use than repairable damage. The statute still controls when the refund had to be sent and how deductions had to be explained.
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