Rhode Island launches rental registry to combat lead exposure

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is launching a new statewide registry that landlords must use to register their properties. The new law also makes it mandatory for landlords to provide a lead certificate for any rental unit built before 1978.

“All children deserve protection from the lifelong effects of lead exposure, but lead remains a persistent hazard in too many homes. We are pleased to launch the Rhode Island Rental Registry, which will serve as a vital source of information about rental properties’ adherence to housing standards and health laws,” said Director of Health, Jerome Larkin, MD. “Protecting tenants from lead exposure is the right thing to do. Landlords have been required to have Certificates of Lead Conformance since 2005, but compliance has remained low. By granting RIDOH authority to impose civil fines and penalties, the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act now provides a financial incentive for landlords to comply.”

The state health department says the new registry, the Rhode Island Rental Registry, will help them identify landlords who are not taking the proper steps to protect their tenants from lead exposure.

Under the law, all landlords must submit the required information to the registry no later than October 1, 2024. Landlords must submit current and active contact information, information about property managers, and information needed to identify individual units to the Rhode Island Rental Registry.

Landlords also need to submit a valid certificate of lead conformance or another lead certificate. The state health department says that landlords who do not submit a valid certificate will face civil fines of at least $50 per unit, per month. For landlords who do not register their property at all, the fines are $125 per unit, per month.

“Implementation of the statewide rental registry will help keep our kids safe by giving families access to the information they need to choose housing, all while ensuring landlords comply with lead laws that have been on the books for more than two decades,” said Attorney General Peter F. Neronha. “Additionally, the registry represents significant tenant protections, beyond lead hazards, by helping identify other issues of safety noncompliance. I want to thank RIDOH, as well as the sponsors, supporters, and advocates who helped pass this critical law. Today we are one major step closer to eradicating childhood lead poisoning in Rhode Island.”

The state health department also reminds parents to have their children screened for lead exposure twice, first at 18 months of age, and then again at 36 months of age.

“Lead exposure is a health equity issue with life-long consequences. Lead is a poisonous heavy metal that can be harmful if it gets into the body. Lead is most dangerous to children younger than six and for people who are pregnant. Exposure to even a small amount of lead during childhood can impact a child’s ability to grow, think, learn, relax, and bond with others. Lead-based paint can peel, chip, or create dust that may be swallowed or breathed in. Older housing (built before 1978) likely has lead-based paint. Much of the Rhode Island housing stock is older, especially in the core cities of Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket. Children in these four core cities also have disproportionately higher rates of elevated blood lead levels compared to the rest of the state,” said Director of Health, Jerome Larkin, MD.

Landlords can learn more about lead certificates and how to get one at www.lead1978.com.​

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.