Warwick, RI Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)

The fee sits inside Chapter 510, Warwick's short-term rental regulatory scheme adopted by Ord. No. O-23-4 in 2023. Section 510.6 sets the filing window: the record owner must submit the completed registration form to the building official or a designee on or before December 31 of each year, and the resulting permit runs from January 1 through December 31 of the following year, or through December 31 of the current year if the property registers mid-year. Section 510.7 then sets the price: a permit registration fee of $250.00 per year for each dwelling unit covered by the subsection, so a property with two short-term rental units pays $500.00 total.

The registration form itself, required by section 510.5, must show the tax assessor's plat and lot number, the address, the number of short-term rental units on the property, the owner's and local representative's contact information, and the typical length of tenant stays; the Warwick police and fire departments keep copies on file with 24/7 contact information. Paying the fee and filing the form are conditions of eligibility, not a formality: section 510.4(B) requires the owner or local representative to obtain the permit under sections 510.6 and 510.7 before any online listing accepts tenants, and section 510.4(C) separately requires registration with the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation before occupancy.