Property Maintenance in Rhode Island (2026)
11 rules on the books across Rhode Island, 4 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Property Blight
Standards for property appearance including peeling paint, broken windows, junk accumulation, and other conditions the city considers blight.
Cranston
Significant RestrictionsCranston's director of building inspections condemns any dwelling as unfit for occupancy when it lacks basic sanitation…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Significant RestrictionsPawtucket's Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement can condemn and placard a dwelling that is dangerously lacking in…
Read full rule →Providence
Significant RestrictionsProvidence requires owners of abandoned residential property to register annually with the Department of Inspections…
Read full rule →Warwick
Significant RestrictionsWarwick's housing code lets the director of minimum housing condemn any dwelling as unfit for occupancy when it lacks…
Read full rule →Vacant Lot Maintenance
Requirements for maintaining vacant or undeveloped land, including mowing, fencing, and preventing dumping and trespassing.
Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston requires owners of vacant lots visible from public view to keep them clean and orderly, matching neighboring…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsOwners of vacant land, lots or fields in Pawtucket must keep them free of debris and can't let grass, weeds or shrubs…
Read full rule →Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence bans weeds and ground cover over 12 inches tall on any lot, vacant or built, treating overgrowth as an…
Read full rule →Snow & Sidewalk Clearing
Your responsibility to clear snow and ice from sidewalks next to your property, including deadlines after a snowfall and penalties for not clearing.
Cranston
Some RestrictionsCranston property owners must clear sidewalk snow within 24 hours of snowfall ending, or face fines that climb by the…
Read full rule →Pawtucket
Some RestrictionsPawtucket City Code § 351-20 gives property owners just the first 12 daylight hours after a snowstorm ends to clear…
Read full rule →Providence
Some RestrictionsProvidence property owners must clear sidewalk snow and ice within 8 daylight hours of a snowfall or face daily fines…
Read full rule →Warwick
Some RestrictionsOwners of property next to a Warwick 'priority sidewalk' must clear snow and ice within 72 hours after it stops falling…
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