City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Narragansett, RI
How Narragansett regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here are subject to registration, a lodging tax, or a small number of operating rules.
- general annual rental registration reaches all rentals including STRs (Sec 14-518 to 14-520), $120/unit
- STR-specific supply ordinance (permit cap 1,100/1,000/900 + 7-night minimum) adopted May 2024 but PRELIMINARILY ENJOINED Oct 2024 and NOT in force
- RI state layer: DBR/BAR STR registration + state hotel/whole-home lodging taxes reaching STRs
- active, unresolved litigation over a would-be Restrictive regime — posture could flip if injunction lifted
Based on: Code of Ordinances ch. 14, art. XVI (Rental Dwellings), Sec. 14-518 to 14-520 (general rental registration, in force)
Summary of the rule
No Dwelling Unit shall be permitted to be occupied by tenants until record owner has registered with the Building Inspector; on or before August 31 of each year the record owner shall file or renew the completed rental registration form, valid September 1 to August 31; annual registration fee $120 per unit. Short-term rentals (less than 30 days) register under this same rental-registration system.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Active litigation / open question
Narragansett 2100 v. Town of Narragansett, RI Superior Court — landlord group challenging the 2024 STR ordinance as ultra vires / unconstitutional under the RI home-rule amendment; preliminary injunction granted Oct 2024 (Justice Sarah Taft-Carter), enforcement of the STR permit cap and 7-night minimum blocked; litigation ongoing as of assessment date, ordinance unenforced.
Reported as fact only, reflecting the code as currently in effect — not legal advice, and not a prediction of the outcome. Verify current status before relying on it.
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Narragansett · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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