Rhode Island’s Tenant/Landlord Laws don't specifically mention tenant provisions on subleasing. This means that a tenants right to sublease his or her unit lies in the wording of a sublease agreement. If the landlord allows a sublease to move forward, the sublessor should seek to obtain written permission before.
A sublease is an agreement between the original tenant (sublessor or sublandlord) under a lease agreement for a rental unit and a new individual (sublessee or subtenant) who does not have a direct connection with the original lease agreement; the sublease agreement is tied to and incorporates the original (master) lease. In Rhode Island, the language in the original lease controls the entire process. If the original lease requires the permission of the landlord for the tenant to enter into a sublease, the original tenant (sublessor) must obtain written permission from the landlord to do so. If the original lease contains no language giving permission for the tenant to enter into a sublease, the original tenant (sublessor) should obtain written permission from the landlord to do so. The original tenant (sublessor) is still bound by all the requirements/obligations under the original (master) lease agreement.
A Rhode Island sublease agreement should include the following sections: