Pawtucket, RI Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Condemnation authority
- Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement
- Vacate notice
- At least 10 days before effective
- Demolition threshold
- Repair cost over 50% of assessed value
- Boarding spec
- 1/2-in. plywood, nailed 12 in. o.c.
- Cost recovery
- Lien plus 10% service charge
- Max fine
- $500 per offense, per day (§ 247-18)
Summary
Pawtucket's Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement can condemn and placard a dwelling that is dangerously lacking in sanitation, heating or safety, order it vacated on 10 days' notice, require it boarded to a specific plywood standard, and demolish it at the owner's expense with a lien for the cost.
Any dwelling or dwelling unit which shall be found by the Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement to have any of the following defects shall be condemned as unfit for continued occupancy and human habitation and shall be so designated and placarded by the Director: A. One which, according to the provisions of §§ 247-64 to 247-89, is so lacking in sanitation, heating, lighting or ventilation facilities that it creates a serious hazard to the health or safety of the occupants or of the public.
Full Breakdown
Article IV of the Housing Standards chapter lets the Director condemn any dwelling or dwelling unit as unfit for continued occupancy where it is so lacking in sanitation, heating, lighting or ventilation, so insanitary, overcrowded or dangerous, or so decayed, damaged, dilapidated or infested that it creates a serious hazard to occupants or the public (§ 247-50). Notice of intent to condemn rides with the standard notice of violation (§ 247-52), and if unresolved, a compliance order to vacate must be served at least 10 days before it takes effect (§ 247-53).
A vacant dwelling left open at a door or window, or hazardous from neglect, vandalism or abandonment, is deemed dangerous and unsafe, and the Director must notice the owner to a hearing within 14 days to show cause against demolition (§ 247-57). 5-inch screws 12 inches on center. Where repair costs exceed 50% of the dwelling's assessed value, the Director can order demolition, with the owner given the choice to repair, sell for rehabilitation, or demolish at their own expense before the City acts (§§ 247-58, 247-61).
Violations & Fines
If the owner does not comply with a repair, alteration or demolition order, the Director can act directly and place a lien against the real property for the City's costs, plus a 10% service charge, enforced the same as a common-law lien (§ 247-62). Removing or defacing a condemnation placard is unlawful (§ 247-56), and general Chapter 247 violations are fined up to $500 per offense with each day counted separately (§ 247-18). No condemned dwelling may be reoccupied without the Director's written approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Pawtucket building unfit for habitation?
How much notice do I get before a vacate order takes effect?
Can I avoid demolition by fixing the building myself?
Who pays if the City has to demolish a condemned building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pawtucket
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Property Blight in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle property blight.