Rhode Island · Weigh your options

What happens after a foreclosure sale in Rhode Island

A Rhode Island power of sale auction is final for the homeowner: the law calls it a perpetual bar, and there is no right to buy the home back afterward. What still matters is how long you can stay, whether the lender comes after you for a shortfall, and whether there is surplus money owed to you. The new owner must use the court to remove you.

Ask for help in Rhode Island Free HUD counselor: (800) 569-4287

Reviewed against Rhode Island law and official sources on October 12, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

What happens after the sale in Rhode Island, in order

No redemption after the sale
From the moment of the sale
The sale ends your rights in the home and the rights of anyone claiming through you. If you think the sale broke the rules, talk to legal aid right away.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-22
Foreclosure deed recorded
After the sale
The deed must include the lender's sworn statements that it followed the notice rules, and the mediation certificate must be recorded with it. You can look up the recorded deed at your city or town land evidence records.
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-27-4(b), 34-27-9(g), (m)
Written notice to leave
At least 30 days before the date in the notice
A foreclosing owner must use the same notice as for ending a month-to-month tenancy to remove someone who is not a tenant. Tenants get extra just-cause protections. Some lenders based in Rhode Island and small foreclosing owners are exempt from these rules.
R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-37(b), 34-18-38.2(e), (h)
Court eviction case
After the notice period ends
If you have not moved, the new owner must file in court and win before you can be removed. Answer any court papers and go to every hearing. Rhode Island Legal Services can help.
Surplus money and an accounting
After the sale
The lender keeps what it is owed plus sale costs, taxes and insurance it paid. It must pay any surplus to you, with a true and detailed account of the sale. Ask the foreclosure lawyer in writing for the accounting.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-22
Possible deficiency claim
After the sale
We found no Rhode Island rule that bars a lender from suing for the unpaid balance after a sale. If you get a demand letter or court papers, contact legal aid before you agree to anything.

The three questions that matter after a sale

Can I get the home back in Rhode Island?

No redemption after sale

There is no right to buy the home back after a power of sale foreclosure. Under the statutory power of sale, the sale is a permanent bar against the borrower and anyone claiming through the borrower.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-22

Can the lender come after me for the rest?

Deficiency judgments allowed

We found nothing in Rhode Island's foreclosure chapter that stops a lender from suing for the unpaid balance after the sale, so you should assume a deficiency claim is possible. Ask a lawyer or legal aid before agreeing to anything, and ask in mediation for a written waiver of any deficiency.

What if the home sold for more than I owed?

Under the statutory power of sale, after the debt, interest, sale costs, and taxes or insurance the lender paid are covered, the lender must pay any surplus to the borrower along with an accounting of the sale. If you believe your home sold for more than you owed, ask the foreclosing lender or its attorney in writing for the accounting.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-22

Never pay an upfront fee to stop a foreclosure.

Once a foreclosure is public record, strangers will call, text and mail you with offers to “save your home.” Under federal law a company cannot collect a fee for mortgage relief until you have a written offer from your lender that you accept. Never sign over your deed, and never send your mortgage payment to anyone but your servicer. How to spot a foreclosure rescue scam.

Rhode Island law: Rhode Island regulates mortgage foreclosure consultants. A consultant cannot take any payment until it has fully performed every service it promised, cannot take a lien or wage assignment, cannot take a power of attorney except to inspect documents, and cannot acquire an interest in your home. The contract must be in writing, and you can cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing. (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-79-3, 5-79-4)

Common questions in Rhode Island

Can I buy my home back after a Rhode Island foreclosure sale?

No. Under § 34-11-22, a power of sale auction is a perpetual bar against you and anyone claiming through you. Rhode Island has no redemption period after this kind of sale. Your chance to keep the home ends at the auction.

How do I get surplus money after a Rhode Island foreclosure sale?

The statutory power of sale requires the lender to pay any surplus to the former owner, with a true and detailed account of the sale and expenses. Write to the foreclosure lawyer named in the sale notice, ask for the accounting, and keep a copy. You do not need to pay a company to request it.

Can the new owner change the locks after a Rhode Island foreclosure?

Under § 34-18-38.2(e), a foreclosing owner that wants to remove a former owner must follow the 30-day notice rules for a month-to-month tenancy and then go through court. If someone tries to lock you out without a court order, call Rhode Island Legal Services.

Step by step

Free help anywhere in the country

HUD-approved housing counselors
Free foreclosure prevention counseling from agencies approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A counselor can review your budget and deal with your servicer alongside you.
(800) 569-4287
CFPB: help for struggling homeowners
Plain-language guides from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and a complaint form if your mortgage servicer is not following the rules.
Legal Services Corporation: find legal aid
Find the free civil legal aid office for your county if you have been served with a foreclosure lawsuit or given a sale date and cannot afford a lawyer.

Ask a question

Need help avoiding foreclosure in Rhode Island?

Tell us where things stand. A person reads every message and writes back with the options that fit your situation and the free, official help available in Rhode Island.

Free. There is nothing to buy and no fee, ever.
No loan number, Social Security number or documents needed.
We are not your lender, a law firm or a government agency.

If a sale is days away, do not wait for an email. Call a free HUD-approved housing counselor now at (800) 569-4287.

Your first name

State where the home is

Phone (optional if you gave an email)

Where are things right now?

Type of mortgage

What do you want most?

Anything else we should know? (optional)For example: a sale date, what your servicer has told you, or what changed in your income. Please do not include your loan number, Social Security number or bank details.

Free, and there is nothing to buy. A person reads your message and replies by email, or by phone if you leave a number. We never ask for a fee and we do not sell your details. See the privacy policy.

What happens after a foreclosure sale in Rhode Island

What happens after the sale in Rhode Island, in order

No redemption after the sale

Foreclosure deed recorded

Written notice to leave

Court eviction case

Surplus money and an accounting

Possible deficiency claim

The three questions that matter after a sale

Can I get the home back in Rhode Island?

Can the lender come after me for the rest?

What if the home sold for more than I owed?

Common questions in Rhode Island

More on foreclosure in Rhode Island

Understand the process

Weigh your options

Get help now

Free help anywhere in the country

HUD-approved housing counselors

CFPB: help for struggling homeowners

Legal Services Corporation: find legal aid

Need help avoiding foreclosure in Rhode Island?

Sources for this page