Rhode Island law requires property owners to register their rental properties with a newly created Rhode Island Department of Health public Rental Registry by October 1, 2024.  Judah Boulet, Chief of Program Development for Lead Poisoning Prevention, has clarified that rumors that the deadline has been postponed until 2025 are NOT true.  Mr. Boulet also sent the following blast email to all lead inspectors.  Please alert your customers and clients.

I wanted to clarify something as there was apparently some miscommunication as a very incorrect message was publicized by [a REALTOR] based on information from a lead inspection company. 

The deadline for the registry is still OCTOBER 1. There has not been any extension of the deadline for landlords to register!  

While the deadline to register is October 1, we understand that it will take time to educate landlords of their responsibilities and for landlords to get lead certificates. We will work with landlords to help bring them into compliance prior to issuing any fines.  I am not a judge, so I am not able to determine how the courts would handle provision G of the Rental Registry Law especially since the Lead Hazard Mitigation Act has been in effect since 2005, and landlords without lead certificates have not been in compliance with this statute.

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 34-18-35, a landlord or any agent of a landlord may not commence an action to evict for nonpayment of rent in any court of competent jurisdiction, unless, at the time the action is commenced, the landlord is in compliance with the requirements of subsections (a), (b), and (d) of this section. A landlord must present the court with evidence of compliance with subsections (a), (b), and (d) of this section at the time of filing an action to evict for nonpayment of rent in order to proceed with the civil action.

We will be implementing a full advertising campaign- Radio and TV in next few weeks, full social media in coming months to help educate landlords of these requirements.

How do I register?  Follow these instructions from DOH:  FAQs (ri.gov)

Where can I find help if I have questions about the registration process?
If you have any questions or need assistance with the registration process, you can contact our support team via phone, 401-222-7796, email [email protected], or by clicking the Contact Us button at the top of this page. FAQs (ri.gov)