Providence Code §14-113 and similar municipal minimum-housing ordinances require owners to maintain lots free of excessive weeds. Cities abate and lien for non-compliance. Japanese knotweed and phragmites are pervasive in Providence County.
Providence Code §14-113 (Housing and Minimum Property Maintenance) requires owners to keep premises free of noxious weeds and overgrowth. Cranston Code §10.40, Pawtucket Code Ch. 160, East Providence, and Woonsocket have similar property maintenance provisions tied to the RI Minimum Housing Standards under RIGL §45-24.3. Providence Inspection and Standards issues notices with a 10-day cure; non-compliance results in municipal abatement with costs (typically $200 to $1,500) plus administrative fee recoverable as a lien on the property under RIGL §45-24.3-18. Japanese knotweed, phragmites (common reed), Oriental bittersweet, and multiflora rose are widespread invasives in Providence County, especially along the Woonasquatucket, Blackstone, and Seekonk river corridors. Vacant-lot enforcement is heightened in Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls.
Notice to abate within 10 days. Municipal abatement charged to owner: $200 to $1,500+. Administrative fee plus lien under RIGL §45-24.3-18. Repeat violations: escalated fines up to $500/day.
Providence, RI
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Providence, RI
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Providence, RI
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Providence, RI
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Providence, RI
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Providence, RI
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See how Providence's weed ordinances rules stack up against other locations.
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