Short-Term Rental Laws in Warwick, Rhode Island

Warwick (Rhode Island's second-largest city, T.F. Green Airport gateway, Narragansett Bay shoreline) adopted a registration ordinance aligned with the 2024 RI statewide regime. No unit cap, no primary-residence requirement, no zoning-class ban. STR permitted broadly. The Conimicut, Buttonwoods, and Warwick Neck shoreline neighborhoods hold the bulk of vacation inventory; the airport-corridor inventory serves business travel.

STR allowed across all residential (A-40, A-15, A-7, A-6) and commercial zones. Shoreline-overlay zones add environmental standards but do not restrict STR use. Confirm subdivision covenants in Warwick Neck and Potowomut — some older subdivisions have deed restrictions against commercial use.

Operators must hold a short-term rental permit before listing. See the official permit portal.

Warwick Tax Assessor + Building Department jointly administer with the RI Dept of Business Regulation. Annual renewal. Application requires proof of insurance, designated 24/7 local contact, life-safety self-certification. Operating without registration: administrative fines + cease-rental order + RI state escalation.

Combined short-term lodging tax in Warwick is approximately 13.000% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).

Rhode Island State sales tax 7% + State hotel tax 5% + Warwick local option hotel tax 1% — combined ~13% on transient lodging

Verify the current combined rate via the Utah State Tax Commission before remitting — rates drift quarterly.