A message about the problems with the Rhode Island Rental Registry appears on the Rhode Island Department of Health website. (Rhode Island Department of Health )
Delays and errors plagued the new Rhode Island Department of Health website page on Tuesday, the deadline for all landlords to register rental properties and provide evidence of work done to remove lead-based paint work done to remove lead-based paint in older properties.
Legislation signed into law in June 2023 requires landlords to register their properties in the Rhode Island Rental Registry by Oct. 1, 2024. The website went live on Sept. 3.
For properties built before 1978 — the year lead paint was banned for use in U.S. homes — property owners must supply proof of lead mitigation work in the units. Failure to comply is punishable by a civil fine of at least $50 per month for failure to register name, address of the units and contact information. Failure to register proof of mitigation work would subject a property owner to a fine of $125 per month .
The law also subjects repeat violators to additional civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation.
The Tuesday deadline led landlords to file en masse, leading some people to receive error messages when submitting information about their properties. A notice posted to the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) website stated landlords should try later in the week or next week and attempt to register again. The online notice also said that while the statutory filing deadline is Oct. 1, the health department is not issuing fines at this time.
“Due to the large number of people accessing the Rhode Island Rental Registry today, some people are receiving an error message when registering a property,” Annemarie Beardsworth, a RIDOH spokesperson, said in an email Tuesday afternoon. “RIDOH is aware of this and is working to fix it as quickly as possible…This information has been shared with those who have already emailed RIDOH and is also set as an auto reply for those who have been emailing RIDOH today.”
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha worked with the General Assembly to pass the registry legislation, alongside an assortment of other lead-related laws. Prior to the lead registry, landlords were already required to obtain lead certificates. The registry will make the information more easily available to renters.
“The registry is designed to hold landlords accountable by ensuring Rhode Island’s rental housing stock is lead-safe,” Neronha said during a press conference in May. “And as the housing crisis continues to impact tenants across Rhode Island, families can’t afford to be picky. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that the registry is properly implemented, arming renters with the information they need to make important housing decisions while requiring compliance and transparency from landlords. And we won’t back down until it’s in place.”
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