Storage lien laws · State guide
Rhode Island storage lien laws
Rhode Island General Laws Title 34, Chapter 34-42 (Rhode Island Self-Service Storage Facility Act), §§ 34-42-1 through 34-42-9 →Verified 2026-06-11
Rhode Island General Laws Chapter 34-42 gives a facility owner a lien on stored personal property for unpaid rent, labor, insurance, and charges, attaching on arrival. After default, the owner may deny access on day one, send a first notice (balance due) no sooner than day five, then a second detailed notice no sooner than day fourteen giving the occupant at least fourteen days to cure. Notices go by personal service, regular mail, or verified electronic mail. After the cure period, the owner advertises once a week for two weeks — website or local newspaper — and may not sell until sixty days post-default and fifteen days post-final-publication. Surplus held two years; unclaimed amounts escheat to the state (the statute uses "eschew" — a drafting error; legal effect is escheat). For titled vehicles, towing without owner liability is authorized but no DMV or title-transfer path is provided — a separate law likely governs; confirm with RI DMV/counsel. Late fees are contract-controlled.
At a glance
RI · verified 2026-06-11- Statute
- Rhode Island General Laws Title 34, Chapter 34-42 (Rhode Island Self-Service Storage Facility Act), §§ 34-42-1 through 34-42-9
- Notice delivery
- Personal delivery to the occupant — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4 · Regular mail to the last known address — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4 (ordinary first-class mail; certified mail is not required by the statute) · Verified electronic mail (email with confirmation receipt) to the last known email address — R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-42-2, 34-42-4
- Sale method
- The sale may be held at the self-service storage facility, at the nearest suitable place, or online. The sale must conform to the terms stated in the lien-enforcement notices. A purchaser in good faith takes the property free of any rights of persons against whom the lien was valid, even if the owner did not fully comply with the statute's procedural requirements.
- Late fees
- No statutory cap, floor, or provision governing late fees appears anywhere in Chapter 34-42. Rhode Island General Laws §§ 34-42-1 through 34-42-9 are silent on late fees. The amount, timing, grace period, and conditions for late fees are controlled entirely by the rental agreement. Operators should state late-fee terms clearly in the rental agreement to ensure enforceability.
- Vehicles & boats
- No DMV title-transfer path is provided in Chapter 34-42. Section 34-42-4(m) authorizes towing of motor vehicles, watercraft, trailers, motorcycles, and RVs without owner liability but does not address title transfer, DMV notification, lienholder notice, or any post-tow process. A separate law likely governs post-tow procedures — confirm with RI DMV/counsel before proceeding. Any lienholders recorded on a vehicle title are not addressed in the self-storage statute.
The lien clock
Each station below is a statutory checkpoint. Miss one and the sale can be challenged — this is the timeline LotWarden tracks automatically.
- 01
Day 0 — when the personal property is placed at the facility
Lien attaches on arrival
The owner's lien on all personal property at the facility attaches automatically when the property arrives. The lien covers unpaid rent, labor, insurance, and other valid charges, plus expenses for preserving the property and costs of sale. The rental agreement must include a bold, conspicuous notice informing the occupant of the lien. The owner forfeits the lien by voluntarily delivering or unjustifiably refusing to deliver the stored property.
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-42-3, 34-42-9
- 02
No sooner than Day 1 after default
Access may be denied
The statute permits the owner to deny the occupant access to the storage space starting one day after default. The owner may do so in any reasonable manner. Denying access does not by itself trigger the lien-enforcement notice sequence.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(b)
- 03
No sooner than Day 5 after default
First lien notice sent
The owner must send a first written notice to the occupant and all other persons known to claim an interest in the stored property. The notice must state the current balance due and remind the occupant to bring the past-due balance current or risk lien enforcement. Permitted delivery methods are personal delivery, regular mail to the last known address, or verified electronic mail (email with confirmation receipt). Certified mail is not required by the statute.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(a)(1)
- 04
No sooner than Day 14 after default
Second lien notice sent
The owner must send a second, more detailed notice to the occupant and all known interested parties. The second notice must include: (1) a statement of claim with sums due at the time of notice; (2) notice that the owner has the right to deny access; (3) a general description of the personal property subject to the lien; (4) a demand for payment by a specified date at least 14 days after the notice is mailed; (5) a warning that property will be advertised and sold or otherwise disposed of; and (6) the owner's name, street address, and telephone number. Delivery methods are the same as the first notice.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(a)(2)
- 05
At least 14 days after the second notice is mailed; any time before the sale
Cure period — occupant may redeem
Before the sale, any person with a right to the stored property may redeem it by paying the full amount necessary to satisfy the lien plus the owner's reasonable expenses incurred in enforcing the lien. Once paid, the owner must release the property.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(g)
- 06
After the cure period expires; published once a week for two consecutive weeks before the sale
Advertisement published
The owner must publish a sale advertisement once a week for two consecutive weeks either on a publicly accessible website identified in the rental agreement or in a subsequent notice, or in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town where the facility is located. The advertisement must describe the property and provide the time and place of sale.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(d)
- 07
No sooner than Day 60 after default AND no sooner than 15 days after the final advertisement publication
Lien sale conducted
The sale may be held at the self-service storage facility, the nearest suitable place, or online. Both timing conditions must be met — whichever falls later controls. A purchaser in good faith takes the property free of any rights of persons against whom the lien was valid, even if the owner did not fully comply with all procedural requirements.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(f), (i)
- 08
Immediately after the sale; two-year hold period
Surplus held; unclaimed balance escheats to state
After satisfying the lien from sale proceeds, the owner must hold any remaining balance for delivery on demand to any person who would have been entitled to the property. If the balance is not claimed within two years of the sale date, it escheats to the state of Rhode Island. Note: the enrolled statute text of § 34-42-4(j) uses the word "eschew" rather than "escheat" — this appears to be a legislative drafting error; the practical legal effect is escheat (reversion to the state).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(j)
Notice requirements
Permitted delivery
- Personal delivery to the occupant — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4
- Regular mail to the last known address — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4 (ordinary first-class mail; certified mail is not required by the statute)
- Verified electronic mail (email with confirmation receipt) to the last known email address — R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-42-2, 34-42-4
The notice must include
- FIRST NOTICE (sent no sooner than 5 days after default): the current balance due with a reminder to bring the past-due balance current or risk the owner enforcing the lien — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(a)(1)
- SECOND NOTICE (sent no sooner than 14 days after default): a statement of the claim showing the sums due at the time of the notice — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(a)(2)
- SECOND NOTICE: a statement that, based on the default, the owner has the right to deny the occupant access to the leased space — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(a)(2)
- SECOND NOTICE: a general description of the personal property subject to the lien, if known — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(a)(2)
- SECOND NOTICE: a demand for payment by a specified date not less than fourteen (14) days after mailing — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(a)(2)
- SECOND NOTICE: a warning that property will be advertised for sale or otherwise disposed of if payment is not received — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(a)(2)
- SECOND NOTICE: the name, street address, and telephone number of the owner — R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(a)(2)
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-42-2, 34-42-4
The part most guides skip
Vehicles, boats & RVs
Rhode Island General Laws § 34-42-4(m) expressly covers motor vehicles, watercraft, trailers, motorcycles, RVs, and any other titled vehicle stored at a self-service storage facility. The provision authorizes the owner to have the titled property towed without incurring liability — "the owner may have it towed with no liability on its part." That is the full extent of the statutory provision. The statute does not provide: a DMV notification requirement, a title-transfer or title-clearing process, a lienholder notice requirement for any party holding a security interest in the vehicle, post-tow redemption rights for the occupant, or instructions on what the towing company must do with the vehicle after removal. A separate law likely governs post-tow procedures — confirm with RI DMV/counsel before relying solely on § 34-42-4(m). Because the self-storage lien statute is silent on these mechanics, operators who store boats, RVs, trailers, motorcycles, or motor vehicles face meaningful legal uncertainty when enforcing against titled property.
Titled property path
No DMV title-transfer path is provided in Chapter 34-42. Section 34-42-4(m) authorizes towing of motor vehicles, watercraft, trailers, motorcycles, and RVs without owner liability but does not address title transfer, DMV notification, lienholder notice, or any post-tow process. A separate law likely governs post-tow procedures — confirm with RI DMV/counsel before proceeding. Any lienholders recorded on a vehicle title are not addressed in the self-storage statute.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(m)
Sale rules
- Method
- The sale may be held at the self-service storage facility, at the nearest suitable place, or online. The sale must conform to the terms stated in the lien-enforcement notices. A purchaser in good faith takes the property free of any rights of persons against whom the lien was valid, even if the owner did not fully comply with the statute's procedural requirements.
- Advertising
- Publication once a week for two consecutive weeks — owner's choice of: (a) a publicly accessible website identified in the rental agreement or a subsequent notice, or (b) a newspaper of general circulation in the facility's city or town. One medium is sufficient. The ad must describe the property and state the time and place of sale. Sale may not occur sooner than fifteen days after final publication or sixty days after default, whichever is later. P.L. 2025, ch. 461 (eff. July 5, 2025) added the option to identify the sale website by subsequent written notice rather than requiring it in the rental agreement.
- Proceeds & surplus
- After the sale, the owner may satisfy its lien from the proceeds. The statute does not specify a formal priority waterfall — it states only that the owner satisfies its lien and must hold any remaining balance for delivery on demand. If no claim is made within two years of the sale date, the surplus escheats to the state of Rhode Island under § 34-42-4(j). The statute is silent on whether sale expenses (auctioneer fees, advertising costs) are paid before or after the owner's lien claim; counsel should be consulted on priority order.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-42-4(d), (f), (i), (j)
Late fees
No statutory cap, floor, or provision governing late fees appears anywhere in Chapter 34-42. Rhode Island General Laws §§ 34-42-1 through 34-42-9 are silent on late fees. The amount, timing, grace period, and conditions for late fees are controlled entirely by the rental agreement. Operators should state late-fee terms clearly in the rental agreement to ensure enforceability.
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-42-1 through 34-42-9 (no statutory provision); rental agreement controls
Operator questions
I run an outdoor RV and boat storage lot in Rhode Island. Does Chapter 34-42 cover my facility?
Yes. Section 34-42-2 defines a self-service storage facility as real property designed for renting individual storage spaces for personal property — it does not limit coverage to enclosed units. "Personal property" under § 34-42-2 means movable property not affixed to land, which includes vehicles, watercraft, and trailers. An outdoor lot renting individual spaces under a written rental agreement falls within Chapter 34-42. Your rental agreement must include a bold, conspicuous notice of the lien right under § 34-42-9.
Can I tow an RV or boat off my lot for non-payment instead of holding a lien sale?
Section 34-42-4(m) says you may have a motor vehicle, watercraft, trailer, motorcycle, or RV "towed with no liability on its part" — but that is the entire provision. The statute does not say what happens to the title after the tow, whether you must notify RI DMV or any lienholder, or what your obligations are once the vehicle is removed. A separate law likely governs post-tow procedures — confirm with RI DMV and counsel before towing. Towing without a clear title-transfer path could expose you to liability from secured lenders on the vehicle.
How many notices do I have to send before I can sell a tenant's stored property?
The statute requires two separate notices. The first notice — sent no sooner than five days after default — states only the balance due and warns the occupant to pay or risk lien enforcement. The second, more detailed notice — sent no sooner than fourteen days after default — must include the claim amount, an access-denial warning, a property description, a payment deadline at least fourteen days from mailing, a sale warning, and your contact information. Only after the second notice's cure period expires can you advertise and schedule a sale. Both notices may be sent by regular mail or verified electronic mail; certified mail is not required by the statute, though it provides better proof of delivery.
What is the earliest date I can hold a lien sale?
Two conditions must both be satisfied before you may hold the sale: (1) at least sixty days must have passed since the occupant's default, and (2) at least fifteen days must have passed since the final advertisement publication. Whichever date falls later controls. You must also have published the advertisement once a week for two consecutive weeks before the sale. Plan your timeline so the second weekly ad publishes at least fifteen days before the sale date, and confirm that the sale date is at least sixty days from the original default.
Do I have to run a newspaper ad, or can I advertise online?
You may choose either option. Section 34-42-4(d) allows advertisement on a publicly accessible website identified in the rental agreement or in a subsequent written notice, or in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town where your facility is located. You are not required to use both — one medium is sufficient. The ad must run once a week for two consecutive weeks. If you change your online auction platform, you may notify occupants of the new website in a subsequent notice rather than amending every rental agreement (a change made by P.L. 2025, ch. 461).
What do I do with money left over after the auction covers what I'm owed?
After satisfying the lien from sale proceeds, the statute requires you to hold any remaining balance and release it on demand to anyone who would have been entitled to the stored property. If no one claims the balance within two years of the sale date, it escheats to the state of Rhode Island under § 34-42-4(j). Note: the enrolled statute text uses the word "eschew" rather than "escheat" — this is a legislative drafting error; the practical legal effect is the same: unclaimed surplus reverts to the state.
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