Pawtucket, RI local landlord rules
State law also applies. See Rhode Island landlord-tenant law.
Quick facts
| Topic | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Rental licensing / registration | Yes, for absentee landlords: owners who don't live at their residential property. |
| Rent withholding / escrow | Yes, when the city orders repairs. |
Details & sources
Rental licensing / registration
Yes, for absentee landlords: owners who don't live at their residential property. They must file, under oath with the Office of Zoning and Code Enforcement, their name, address and phone number (or the property manager's), an emergency number, and their mortgage holder and insurer (§ 325-3). The city notifies them in writing to register within 30 days. Out-of-state landlords must name and keep a local agent for legal notices, and report changes within 30 days. If they don't, rent abates until an agent is named, with fines up to $500 per violation (§ 325-4). Failing to provide the information carries a fine of up to $100 for a first offense and up to $500 after that, and unpaid fines become a lien on the property (§§ 325-5, 325-6).
Verified Source: Pawtucket Code ch. 325, art. II, § 325-3, § 325-4, § 325-5, § 325-6 (Browser transcription) · last checked 2026-10-16
Back to quick facts ↑Rent withholding / escrow
Yes, when the city orders repairs. If the city's code enforcement officer orders repairs to a dwelling after finding a serious hazard or imminent peril to occupants, the tenant's obligation to pay rent to the landlord is suspended (§ 325-1). Rent is paid instead into an escrow account set up by the enforcing officer to cover the repairs, and the landlord can't sue for that rent or for possession. If the tenant stops paying into escrow, the landlord may sue (§ 325-2).
Verified Source: Pawtucket Code ch. 325, art. I, § 325-1, § 325-2 (Browser transcription) · last checked 2026-10-16
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