R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-45 § 34-45-6
Notice of discontinuance
Operative Text
(a) Not less than two (2) years prior to: (1) Selling, leasing, or disposing of prepaying obligations secured by a federally insured or assisted development in a manner which would result in either: (i) A discontinuance of the use of the development as a federally insured or assisted housing development, or (ii) Cause the termination or expiration of any use restrictions which apply to the development; or (2) Recording a declaration of condominium, pursuant to chapter 36.1 of this title, With respect to all or any portion of a federally insured or assisted development, the owner shall provide written notice of such sale, lease, disposition, or prepayments to: (i) Each tenant of the development, (ii) The tenant association of the development, (iii) The corporation, (iv) The department, (v) The housing authority of the city or town in which the development is located, and (vi) The city or town council of the city or town in which the development is located. (b) A copy of any notice required by this section shall be filed in the land evidence records of the city or town in which the development is located. (c) No sale, lease, or disposition of or prepayment of any obligations secured by a federally insured or assisted development in a manner which would result in either: (1) A discontinuance of the use of the development as a federally insured or assisted housing development; or (2) Cause the termination or expiration of any use restrictions which apply to the development, Shall be valid unless the notices required by this section shall have first been provided and filed as required hereunder. (d) The declaration of a condominium of a federally insured or assisted development which is otherwise valid will not be invalid under this section if consummated within two (2) years of notice if the owner records an agreement to maintain existing use restrictions with regard to those units which are federally insured or assisted for the duration of the two (2) year notice period in the appropriate office of land records and provide the corporation with a copy of that agreement.
Rhode Island General Laws § 34-45-6 requires that owners of federally insured or assisted housing developments give at least two years' written notice before selling, leasing, disposing of secured obligations, or converting the property to condominiums in ways that would end its affordable-housing status or eliminate use restrictions. That notice must be delivered to tenants, the tenant association, specified state and local agencies, and the local city or town council, and a copy must be filed in the local land evidence records. Any transaction completed without this prior notice and filing is legally invalid under this provision. A limited exception exists for condominium conversions if the owner records an agreement to maintain existing use restrictions for the full two-year notice period.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 34-45-6, operators of federally insured or assisted developments who plan to sell, prepay secured obligations, or convert to condominiums in ways that would end affordable-housing status generally begin the notice process at least two full years before the intended transaction. Compliant owners deliver written notice to each tenant individually, the tenant association, the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, the relevant state department, the local housing authority, and the city or town council, and then file a copy of that notice in the local land evidence records. Owners pursuing a condominium conversion may preserve the transaction's validity within the two-year window by recording an agreement to maintain existing use restrictions for federally insured or assisted units and providing a copy to the corporation.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 34-45-6 gives tenants of federally insured or assisted developments the right to receive written notice at least two years before an owner can lawfully complete a sale, prepayment, or condominium conversion that would end the property's affordable-housing status or remove use restrictions. Because any such transaction completed without proper notice is explicitly invalid under this provision, tenants who did not receive the required notice may have grounds to raise that failure as a legal issue. Tenants who believe notice was not properly given can contact the local housing authority, the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, or a tenant-rights organization to understand what options may be available.
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.
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