City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Block Island, RI
How Block Island regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- mandatory annual STR registration with Zoning Official before Dec 31 ($200 fee)
- registration number must appear in all public listings
- two-hour-response local representative required
- occupancy capped at 2 persons per bedroom, bounded by septic capacity
- whole-home / non-owner-occupied STR still permitted by-right (no cap, no primary-residence rule)
- accessory-apartment (ADU) units barred from seasonal occupancy — narrow ADU-type carve-out, not a whole-home supply device
Based on: New Shoreham General Ordinances Ch. 8 (Licenses), Art. XII (Residential Short-Term Rentals), §§8-320–8-331; adopted
Summary of the rule
All short-term rental units must be registered annually with the Zoning Official before December 31st each year; a $200 registration fee applies and the owner receives a Registration Number that must appear in all public rental listings.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Block Island · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.