What is the Rental Registry?

The Rhode Island Rental Registry is a state-wide database for property owners to register their rental properties and provide essential information. The Rhode Island Rental Registry will help maintain lead-safe housing standards across Rhode Island. The  Residential Landlord and tenant act (RIGL 34-18-58) established the requirement for landlords to provide this information in the Rhode Island Rental Registry. All property owners who rent out residential properties in Rhode Island must register their properties with the Rhode Island Rental Registry. This includes single-family homes, multi-family units, condos and apartment complexes. Tenants or renters do not need to enter any information in the Rhode Island Rental Registry.

Why are we required to do this?

The requirement to have a lead certificate is not new. The Lead Hazard Mitigation Act was passed in 2002 and enacted in 2005. It was updated in 2024 to remove owner occupied property exemptions for rental units. The requirement to register is new as of September 2024 and was implemented as an enforcement mechanism for the existing requirements.  RI drew inspiration from Maryland which implemented a similar registry several years ago. Over 1000 children continue to be lead poisoned in RI every year.  The goal is for more landlords to get into compliance to hopefully avoid many of these unnecessary exposures and reduce the number of affected children in the state.

How often do I need to renew my inspections?

  • Certificate of Conformance- Every two years **Unless you can submit an affidavit of visual inspection
  • Conditionally Lead Safe Certificate- Every two years
  • Full Lead Safe Certificate- Permanent

You may submit an Affidavit of Visual Inspection to renew your certificate of conformance if:

  • You have a current, non expired certificate of conformance issued by a licensed lead inspector or lead inspector technician
  • You (or a representative of the property ie property manager) have taken the 3 hour Lead Hazard Awareness Class for landlords
  • The tenant is the same tenant who lived there when the certificate was issued by a licensed inspector

If your unit meets the above criteria you can elect to renew your own certificate by submitting an Affidavit of Visual Inspection to the Department of Health. This Affidavit will extend your certificate by either another two years or until the tenant moves out of the unit whichever occurs first.

If your property was built between the years 1960-1978 and there are 10 or more rental units you may be eligible for presumptive compliance. With Presumptive Compliance we have the capacity to inspect 5% of the total units (with a minimum requirement of two units) to act as a representative sample for the entire property.  This is only applicable to properties built after 1960 because lead paint had started to phase out of new construction by that time and properties from this era are often found to have lower levels of lead than older buildings.  Once you have received a certificate of conformance for 5% of the property you need to submit an application for presumptive compliance to the Department of Health for approval.  The link to this application can be found here: https://health.ri.gov/forms/applications/Lead-Hazard-Presumptive-Compliance.pdf

Lead Paint Inspections

LeadSafe Inspections and Consulting, Inc. can provide an environmental lead inspection that meets your needs.

This is an inspection done in compliance with RI Department of Health Regulation 23-24.6 Pb. During this inspection an Environmental Lead Inspector conducts a room by room, substrate by substrate evaluation. During the inspection the inspector takes water, dust, soil and paint sampling. This report must be conducted in order to receive a Lead Safe or lead Free Certificate. The inspection yields a 15 – 20 page report consisting of one page for each room. This inspection is utilized by Daycares, HUD projects, rental units with a child that has an elevated lead level and a pre-1978 property owner looking to receive the $5,000 per unit RI Lead Removal/Abatement Tax Credit.

This inspection is the minimum required by RIDOH for the rental registry and is most commonly utilized by landlords complying with Rhode Island Lead Paint Laws. During this inspection a Lead Inspector or Lead Inspector Technician will not test specific substrates for lead, but will assume all surfaces to be positive for lead and must check to ensure that there is no damaged or deteriorated paint on the interior, exterior and common areas of the dwelling and that there are no binding or friction points. An example of a binding component is a door that is sticking. A few examples of a friction point are old wood on wood windows, old wood kitchen drawers with no runners and hallway stair treads with no runners on them. Once the inspector has verified that the property is in good condition by these standards he or she will take dust samples throughout the unit and in common areas to ensure there is no presence of lead toxins in the household dust. Once the inspector has signed off on the physical condition of the property and the dust samples come back from the laboratory within passing limits as set out by the State a Certificate of

Conformance will be issued. This inspection should be utilized by every landlord in the state.

This inspection is utilized by contractors and potential home buyers to identify the location of lead paint and any potential lead hazards on the interior and exterior of a pre-1978 dwelling. The inspector usually uses an XRF machine to test paint in the dwelling. It is done in compliance with RI Dept. of Health regulation 23-24.6Pb. It generates a 15 – 20 page report.

This inspection is done in accordance with RIDOH regulations after a contractor or do-it-yourself landlord has completed a remodeling or renovation project that was done in compliance with EPA’s RRP Rule. The inspector will take dust wipes only in the area where work was performed. This certificate provides proof that the contractor left no lead contaminants behind when the renovation project was completed. This inspection is required for any property owner who is applying for the $5,000 per unit RI Lead Removal/Abatement Tax Credit.

During a Visual Evaluation a lead inspector will walk through your property with you and assess the visual hazards that need to be remedied in order to pass a lead inspection. This is commonly utilized by customers who recently purchased a home and are learning about lead for the first time, customers who have property in Historical Districts where general guidance may not apply or when we arrive for a full inspection that has visual hazards preventing it from passing a full inspection. There is no formal report or certificate for Visual Evaluations, this inspection is to inform and guide the homeowner only. **Please note that a Visual Evaluation is a snapshot of what the property looks like the day we are present. Any damage that takes place between the evaluation and the full inspection must also be remedied in order to pass inspection.

We Serve All of Rhode Island!

Including these areas:

  • Lead Paint Inspections Rhode Island
  • Lead Paint Inspections Lincoln, RI
  • Lead Paint Inspections Central Falls, RI
  • Lead Paint Inspections Pawtucket, RI
  • Lead Paint Inspections Providence, RI
  • Lead Paint Inspections Cranston, RI
  • Lead Paint Inspections Newport, RI
  • Lead Paint Inspections Woonsocket, RI

Contact us today to schedule your LeadSafe Lead Inspection!