Pawtucket, RI Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Occupancy cap
- Bed-and-breakfast limited to 4 transient guests
- Owner residency
- Owner must reside on the premises
- Permit needed
- Special use permit required (§410-60.AL)
- Parking
- 1 space per guest room (§410-76)
- ADU rule
- ADUs banned from tourist/transient rental
Summary
Pawtucket's zoning code doesn't have a short-term-rental category by that name; the closest use is "bed-and-breakfast," capped at four transient guests at a time with the owner required to live on site, while accessory dwelling units are barred outright from any tourist or transient rental.
A single-family dwelling offering transient lodging accommodations to the general public within a portion of said dwelling, and which may include limited food preparation and the serving of such food within a common area. Such use shall accommodate no more than four transient guests at any one time, and the owner must reside on the premises.
Full Breakdown
" Anything bigger, or run without an owner living there, falls out of the bed-and-breakfast category entirely and into "hotel and motel," defined as dwelling units or a rooming house offering transient lodging that doesn't meet the bed-and-breakfast definition, a use with its own, separate zoning-district permissions. " The Zoning Board of Review reviews that special-use application. Once approved, § 410-76's off-street parking table requires one parking space per guest room for a "bed-and-breakfast, motor inn and hotel" use, the same ratio applied to full hotels. I. Gen. 1-2, so an ADU built under Pawtucket's ADU rules can never legally become an Airbnb-style listing.
Violations & Fines
Running a bed-and-breakfast over the four-guest cap, without the owner living on site, or without the § 410-60 special use permit is a Chapter 410 zoning violation. Section 410-101 lets the Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement fine the operator up to $500 per offense, with each day of the violation counted separately, and the City Solicitor can additionally seek an injunction to shut the use down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pawtucket cap how many guests a short-term rental can host?
Can I rent out an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on Airbnb in Pawtucket?
Do I need a permit to run a bed-and-breakfast in Pawtucket?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pawtucket
Compare Pawtucket to another location·View the Rhode Island short-term rentals overview
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