RI Rental Registry Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Rhode Island Rental Registry?  
The Rhode Island Rental Registry is a state-wide database for property owners to register their rental properties and provide essential information. The Rhode Island Rental Registry will help maintain lead-safe housing standards across Rhode Island. The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (RIGL 34-18-58) established the requirement for landlords to provide this information in the Rhode Island Rental Registry.

What is new with the updated version of the Rhode Island Rental Registry? 
The biggest change for users of the Rhode Island Rental Registry is that the database is now completely searchable. Users can search on items like location, name of landlord, name of property manager, and other key words.  Also, for ease of use, property units with a valid lead certificate will be automatically updated by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH).  Landlords will no longer need to manually upload their lead certificates as long as the unit address matches RIDOH’s records. 

Who is the registry most meant to benefit? 
Registering your rental property is not just a legal requirement, it is a step toward fostering safer and healthier living conditions for tenants.

Who needs to register with the Rhode Island Rental Registry?
All property owners who rent out residential properties in Rhode Island must register their properties with the Rhode Island Rental Registry. This includes single-family homes, multi-family units, condos and apartment complexes. Tenants or renters do not need to enter any information in the Rhode Island Rental Registry.

How do I register my rental property?
To register, you need to create an account on the Rhode Island Rental Registry website. Once logged in, you will enter details about your property, the property manager, and provide any required documentation. The dashboard includes step-by-step instructions for registering your property.

What information do I need to provide during registration?
You must provide the following information:
    • Names of landlords or business entities responsible for leasing
    • Active business or home address
    • Active email address
    • Active telephone number
    • Property manager or management company details (if applicable)
    • Information to identify each dwelling unit
    • Date current occupancy started
Any of the above information will be made publicly available according to the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (RIGL 34-18-58).

Can I save my progress and edit the information before submitting it? 
Yes. Your registration saves a draft as you progress through each step of the registration process. You can access this draft in your user dashboard upon logging into Slate.

Can I edit my property information after I submit it? 
If you have submitted your registration and the status is “Pending”, you may not update the submitted information. However, after your submission is “Registered”, you may update the submitted information. If your registration is “Rejected”, you may submit a new registration. Please carefully review all entries to be sure you are providing complete and accurate information. Inaccuracies or omissions could result in fines.

Is there a fee to register my rental property?
No, there is not a registration fee.

How do I update my property information if something changes? 
To update or edit the information you provided, sign in to Slate with your user credentials. Find the entry you would like to edit in the My Registrations tab and click “update”. You may update your registration fields here. You may change contact information for contacts associated with your properties by clicking the My Contacts tab, selecting the box with the white pencil in the far-right column to open the menu options and clicking “update”.

What should I do if I sell a property? 
If you have sold the property, you can remove it from your registration dashboard. Sign into Slate and find the entry you would like to remove in the My Registrations tab. Click the box with the white pencil in the far-right column to open the menu options and click “Deregister”.

How often do I need to update my registration?
You are required to update your registration by October 1 each year. New property owners or landlords must register within 30 days of acquisition or leasing.

Do short-term rentals need to register?
Short term rentals, such as AirBnB and summer rentals, do not need to register as they are exempt from the Landlord and Tenant Act and are considered temporary housing by the Lead Hazard Mitigation Act.

Can I use a Rhode Island state government (@ri.gov) email address to register?
Yes, any email address can be used to register a property.  Please make sure to check your junk or spam folder if you do not receive confirmation emails.

Where can I find help if I have questions about the registration process?
If you have any questions or need assistance with the registration process, you can contact our support team via email, support@tolemi.com or by clicking the Contact Us button at the top of this page. 

If you have question or need assistance about the rental registry, lead certificates, or the law, you can contact rentalregistry@health.ri.gov,

Why is it necessary to publish personal and/or professional information on the internet? 
It is a requirement of the Rental Registry law. A publicly accessible online database containing the information needed to be created.

How is RIDOH effectively balancing the needs for transparency with landlords right to privacy? 
RIDOH is balancing the need for transparency with landlords' right to privacy by ensuring that only necessary and relevant information defined by the law is made publicly accessible while protecting sensitive personal data.  The rental registry is designed to provide tenants, municipalities, and public health officials with essential information to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, such as lead hazard mitigation for properties built before 1978. Making key contact information available ensures that tenants can reach landlords or property managers when needed.

Will current tenant/renter information be available on the Rhode Island Rental Registry? 
No tenant or renter information will be made public.

What happens if I don't register my rental property?
Failure to register your rental property by July 1, 2025, can result in penalties, including monthly fines. It is important to comply with the registration requirements to avoid any legal or financial consequences.

Fines and legal consequences for failure to register:

• Landlords who do not meet the requirement to register in the Rhode Island Rental Registry are subject to a civil fine of at least $50, per unit, per month.
  • Rhode Island Department of Health may seek injunctive relief and additional civil penalties of up to $50 per violation against landlords who repeatedly fail to comply with subsection (a) of R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-58.
• Landlords who do not meet the requirement to provide a valid lead certificate are subject to a civil fine of at least $125 per unit, per month.
  • The Office of the Attorney General may seek injunctive relief and additional civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation against landlords who repeatedly fail to comply with subsection (b) of R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-58  
• Landlords are not able to file for eviction for nonpayment of rent unless they are registered in the Rhode Island Rental Registry and provide the court with evidence of compliance.

When will the department start issuing fines?
We will start issuing fines July 1, 2025.  We are currently focused on educating landlords about this new requirement. We understand it will take some time to have an inspection conducted by a licensed lead inspector and to get a certificate of lead conformance or lead certificate. Visit www.lead1978.com for more information about lead certificates and how to get one.

Even though you won’t be fined until July 1, 2025, you should know that not registering will impact your ability to evict a tenant for nonpayment of rent. As of October 1, 2024, landlords will not be able to file for eviction for nonpayment of rent unless they are registered in the Rhode Island Rental Registry and provide the court with evidence of compliance. If you are required to have a lead certificate and do not have one, your registration to meet requirements of the statute will be complete however your property will remain in pending status until you obtain a valid lead certificate. Once a lead certificate is issued, your registration will automatically flip to registered.

How do I get a Certificate of Lead Conformance or lead certificate if I do not have one?
Lead certificates are issued after a property passes an inspection by a licensed lead inspector. Learn more about how to get a lead certificate at www.lead1978.com.

Where can I find more information about the law?
Refer to the full text of R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-58 for more detailed information.

Are these lead laws new?
The requirement to have a lead certificate is not new. The Lead Hazard Mitigation Act was passed in 2002 and enacted in 2005. It was updated in 2024 to remove owner occupied property exemptions for rental units. The requirement to register is new. The law establishing the Rental Registry was passed in 2023 and went into effect January 1, 2024. Despite many years of outreach, over 1000 children in Rhode Island have high blood lead levels each year, and a majority of housing has still not been deemed lead safe.

Short-term rentals that meet the following definition of “temporary housing” from the Lead Hazard Mitigation Act do not need a lead certificate. If your property meets this definition, you can select the “temporary housing” definition. "Temporary housing" means any seasonal place of residence that is rented for no more than one hundred (100) days per calendar year to the same tenant, where no lease renewal or extension can occur, and any emergency shelter intended for night-to-night accommodation.”

My house was built before 1978 however it has been gutted to studs and rebuilt. Do I still need a lead certificate?
Yes, you still need a lead inspection and a lead certificate. Properties are classified by the tax assessor database build date. You can ask your lead inspector to perform a Comprehensive Environmental Lead Inspection to get a Full Lead Safe Certificate, which does not expire. Alternatively, you can have a Lead Hazard Mitigation Inspection and get a Certificate of Lead Conformance, which is valid for two years and will need to be renewed.

Where can I get a list of licensed lead inspectors and licensed lead professionals? 
A list of state licensed lead inspectors can be found here.

 If my property doesn’t pass the inspection, can I fix the problems myself?
No. You will need to hire a licensed lead professional to do this work. Work in housing built before 1978 is regulated due to the risk of lead hazards. Property owners can only do spot removal. Learn about what work counts as spot removal and when you need to hire a lead professional on the RIDOH website.

What if tenants do not find their residence while searching the database? 
They can report the missing property to rentalregistry@health.ri.gov.

How can I confirm if my rental property was submitted successfully? 
If your rental property was submitted successfully, you will see the submission populated in the My Registrations tab of your Slate dashboard. If you see a review status of “Pending”, “Registered” or “Rejected”, that means your registration was successfully submitted for review and/or decided upon.

What should I do if I did not receive a confirmation email? 
There are a few steps you can take.

• Check your email settings: If you do not receive an email, please check your spam folder. Consider adding RentalRegistry@health.ri.gov, info@tolemi.com, and support@tolemi.com to the ‘safe sender’ list in your email. The Rhode Island Rental Registry may send periodic emails, including a reminder when it is time to renew your registration. Please confirm your email address is entered correctly by signing into Slate and clicking your name in the top right corner and selecting “Profile”. Update any necessary fields and be sure to save.
• Confirm your email address is accurate: You can edit your contact information by signing into Slate and clicking your name in the top right corner and selecting “Profile”. Update any necessary fields and be sure to save.
• Confirm your property status: In your Slate dashboard, you can view the status of a property in the “Status” field in the My Registrations table. The Submission Status should say “Pending.” If it does not say “Pending,” please check your registration to see which step needs to be completed. The last step is to review your submission, pay any necessary fees if applicable, and click submit.

Can multiple business entities be managed under a single online account? 
You may register multiple properties under one single Slate account and list or update different contact entity information for each registration and each property. Properties not registered under the correct entity in the tax assessor database will not be recognized, and the entity may face penalties and fines for failing to register

Is there financial assistance (from the state or federal government) available to landlords who need to make repairs?

• RIHousing's LeadSafe Homes Program: This program offers forgivable loans to property owners to cover the costs associated with addressing lead paint hazards and other unsafe conditions in homes built before 1978. The assistance is typically free, with no out-of-pocket expenses or monthly payments for the property owner or tenant. 
• Rhode Island Residential Lead Abatement Income Tax Credit: Landlords can receive a tax credit of up to $1,500 per unit for lead mitigation work and up to $5,000 per unit for lead abatement work, applicable to up to three units per year. 
• Local Programs: Cities such as Providence and Woonsocket offer additional financial assistance programs for lead hazard reduction. For instance, Providence has secured a $6.5 million federal grant to provide free comprehensive lead-based paint inspections at eligible properties.

What should I do if the property is owned by a trust? 
If a property is owned by a trust please register as a business organization with the Trusts name and provide a contact person during the registration process.