6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 4 cities in Providence County, Rhode Island.
Verified from official government sources
Rhode Island has no statewide STR permit requirement and does not preempt municipalities from regulating STRs. Providence County has no county government and issues no STR permits. All STR permitting is handled by individual municipalities — Providence, Cranston, and other cities in the county have adopted their own registration or permit systems.
Providence County has no county government and no county-level STR neighbor impact regulations. Individual municipalities in Providence County address neighbor impacts through their STR permit conditions, noise ordinances, and nuisance enforcement. State nuisance law provides a general framework for addressing neighbor disputes.
Rhode Island imposes multiple taxes on short-term rentals of 30 days or less that apply throughout Providence County: 7% state sales tax, 5% state hotel tax (RIGL 44-18-36.1), and 1% local hotel tax (increasing to 2% on January 1, 2026). A new 5% tax on entire-dwelling STRs takes effect January 1, 2026. Hosting platforms (Airbnb, VRBO) are required to collect and remit these taxes.
Providence County municipalities require STR hosts to provide one off-street parking space per bedroom. Dense urban triple-decker neighborhoods in Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls face strict on-street parking constraints and winter parking bans.
Rhode Island sets no statewide STR occupancy limits. Providence County has no county government. Occupancy limits for short-term rentals are regulated by individual municipalities based on building code capacity, fire code, and local zoning. The Rhode Island Fire Safety Code (RIGL Title 23, Ch. 28.1-28.39) establishes maximum occupancy standards for habitable spaces that apply statewide.
Rhode Island imposes state hotel tax and registration on short-term rentals under RIGL §42-63.1, but insurance requirements are set locally. Providence requires liability coverage for licensed STRs; other Providence County cities vary.
4 cities in Providence County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
8 verified rules • Host Platform Liability, Insurance Requirements
6 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
6 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
6 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
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