R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-45 § 34-45-10
Rule making
Operative Text
(a) The department shall issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the purposes of this chapter. The rules and regulations shall include but need not be limited to: (1) Specific procedural safeguards to assure that every person and entity upon whom a right of first refusal is conferred by this chapter, in accordance with the order and priorities established by § 34-45-8(c), is afforded a fair and reasonable opportunity to exercise their right; and (2) Provisions as may be necessary or appropriate to assure that a person upon whom a right of first refusal is conferred by this chapter shall be permitted: (i) Not less than sixty (60) days from receipt of any bona fide offer made pursuant to § 34-45-8 within which to accept the offer, and (ii) Not less than one hundred twenty (120) days from his or her acceptance of the offer within which to secure financing as may be necessary therefor. (b) Within sixty (60) days after June 10, 1988, the department shall publish a form containing a summary of rights and obligations pursuant to this chapter, and sources of technical assistance, which shall include, but not be limited to, information regarding counseling, subsidy programs, relocation services, housing purchase and rehabilitation financing, formation of tenant organizations, purchase of developments and conversion of developments to cooperative ownership.
Section 34-45-10 of Rhode Island General Laws chapter 34-45 directs the state department to create rules and regulations that put the chapter's right-of-first-refusal protections into practice. Those rules must guarantee that anyone holding a right of first refusal gets at least 60 days to accept a bona fide purchase offer and at least 120 days after acceptance to arrange financing. The department was also required to publish a plain-language summary of rights, obligations, and sources of technical assistance—including information on counseling, subsidies, relocation services, and cooperative conversion—within 60 days of the law's June 10, 1988 effective date.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 34-45-10, property owners and managers subject to chapter 34-45 must structure any sale process in a way that honors the regulatory timelines the department has established: right-of-first-refusal holders are entitled to no fewer than 60 days to respond to a bona fide offer and no fewer than 120 days after acceptance to secure financing. Compliant operators generally document the dates on which offers are transmitted and acceptances are received so that these mandatory windows can be tracked and verified. Familiarity with the department's published rules and the summary form issued under § 34-45-10(b) helps operators understand the full scope of procedural obligations before initiating a sale.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 34-45-10 establishes that tenants and other parties granted a right of first refusal under chapter 34-45 are entitled to regulatory protections that the department is required to spell out in formal rules, including the guaranteed 60-day window to accept an offer and the 120-day financing period that follows acceptance. The department's published summary form, required by § 34-45-10(b), is a starting point for understanding available rights, counseling resources, subsidy programs, and options such as forming a tenant organization or pursuing cooperative ownership. Tenants who believe these procedural timelines have not been honored may wish to review the department's regulations, consult a tenant-rights organization, or explore whether a complaint to the relevant state agency is appropriate.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation