Pawtucket, RI Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

Pawtucket's absentee landlord rule, enacted under Chapter 417 of the 1991 Rhode Island Public Laws, applies only to an "absentee landlord": an owner of a residential dwelling who doesn't reside there. That owner must submit, under oath, on a city form filed with the Office of Zoning and Code Enforcement: their full name, residence address and phone number (or a property manager's, if one is used); a 24-hour emergency contact number; and the name and address of both the mortgage holder and the property insurer (§ 325-3).

Once the city mails a registration notice, the landlord has 30 days from the postmark to comply (§ 325-4A). An owner who lives in another state must also designate a local agent who can accept legal service of process and notices, including housing-code violation notices, and must tell the City Clerk in writing the agent's name, address, and which properties the agent covers, updating that filing within 30 days of any change (§ 325-4B-D). If a landlord ignores the registration requirement, rent for that dwelling abates entirely until an agent is designated, and the landlord separately faces a fine of up to $500 per violation (§ 325-4E).