Rental Registry: A new RI law threatens landlords

Earlier in September, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) quietly launched a statewide rental registry for landlords. The Rental Registry is an online portal that will have important information about rental properties. This was created to meet the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act requirements. Landlords were originally required to submit the information by October 1 without fines, but the grace period has been extended (most likely because they forgot to tell landlords about it). There is no current deadline for the “grace period” extended beyond October 1, according to my conversation with RIDOH, though they urge landlords to register as soon as possible. It should be noted that landlords are not able to evict tenants due to lack of payment, until they are registered. According to the FAQs, all landlords must register, including owners of single-family homes, multi-family units, condos and apartment complexes. The process is simple: landlords create an account on the website and then enter details about the property and upload the necessary documents. An important aspect of the Rental Registry is obtaining a Certificate of Lead Conformance. This is for any house built before 1978. Most RI homes were built before that year and are likely to have lead paint, which is unhealthy for young children. Landlords can acquire the certificate by hiring a licensed Lead Inspector to conduct a lead hazard mitigation inspection, proving the property is safe. Any issues found would need to be fixed within 30 days. This may sound overwhelming, especially with an unknown looming deadline, but it’s nothing to stress about. As a landlord, I started the process. Creating an account on the Rental Registry portal was quick and simple. The information they ask for takes seconds, even though I am at a stalemate because I currently don’t have a tenant in my home. One of the questions asks the date the current tenant moved in. My conversation with RIDOH said that landlords need to register even if there is no tenant, though this seems to suggest otherwise. For other landlords, the process may not be as easy. “I think a lot of folks need to … recognize that for many landlords this is stressful and costly.” says realtor Jess Powers, who works with multifamily owners in many parts of the state. “Many landlords face a lot of rising costs – property taxes, insurance, maintenance and repair costs, electricity skyrocketing, and the lead inspections cost a minimum of $185 per unit and that’s just the cost of the inspection, not including whatever remediation is needed.” The website is helpful with a lot of easy-to-read information. They were also useful on the phone, which was refreshing (especially since there wasn’t a long wait time to speak with someone). While still in the infant stages, this should serve to be a good resource for tenants, as they will have access to more information and can research while potential rentals are lead safe. •

Landlords can go to the Rental Registry here: rentalregistry.ri.gov