Rhode Island Short-Term Rental Registration Requirements

Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-63.1-14, every short-term rental unit offered for fewer than 30 nights at a time must register with the Department of Business Regulation (DBR) for a $25 annual fee. Registration collects the owner's principal place of business (or an in-state agent if the owner is out of state), phone number, and email address. Hosting platforms may not publish listings that lack a valid registration number, which hosts must display along with the expiration date in advertisements. The state registry operates alongside, not in place of, municipal zoning rules.

Listing a short-term rental without registering carries civil fines of $250 for the first 30 days of noncompliance, $500 for 31 to 60 days, and $1,000 beyond 60 days under § 42-63.1-14.