Know Your LawRI
Which Rhode Island Laws Govern Your HOA or Condo?
By The HOARebel Team · May 31, 2026 · 2 min read
Before you can hold a Rhode Island association to the law, it helps to know which law applies — and Rhode Island answers that question differently for condominiums than for traditional HOAs. For your specific situation, a licensed Rhode Island attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
For condominiums: the Condominium Act (§ 34-36.1)
The Rhode Island Condominium Act, R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1, is a modern, UCIOA-based statute. It governs condominiums created on or after July 1, 1982 and provides a comprehensive framework: records, meetings, fines, and the assessment lien. Older condominiums (pre-1982) are generally governed by the earlier Condominium Ownership Act, R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.
The Condominium Act is where most of the substance lives for condo owners:
- Records (§ 34-36.1-3.18) — financial and other records "reasonably available for examination within thirty (30) days."
- Meetings (§ 34-36.1-3.08) — notice "not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days in advance" of a meeting.
- Fines (§ 34-36.1-3.20) — notice and opportunity for a hearing required before a fine; statutory caps on residential daily and non-daily fines.
- Assessment lien (§§ 34-36.1-3.16, 3.21) — automatic lien with a six-month super-priority window over a first mortgage; foreclosure under § 3.21.
For non-condominium HOAs
Rhode Island has no general HOA statute. A traditional planned-community HOA, where you own a house and lot, generally is not a condominium and falls outside § 34-36.1. Its framework comes from:
- The recorded declaration, bylaws, and rules
- The Rhode Island Nonprofit Corporation Act, R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-6, if the HOA is incorporated as a nonprofit
- General Rhode Island contract and property law
The entity layer does the heavy lifting
Most Rhode Island associations — condo or HOA — are incorporated as nonprofits under the Rhode Island Nonprofit Corporation Act (§ 7-6). For non-condo HOAs that have no comprehensive statute, this is the principal corporate-law layer for member rights to inspect records, member and board meetings, voting, and board fiduciary duties.
Federal law
Federal protections apply across the board: the Fair Housing Act (disability accommodations, familial status), the ADA, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, OTARD (satellite antennas), and the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act.
The full Rhode Island stack
- The governing documents — the recorded declaration, bylaws, and rules.
- The condominium statute — § 34-36.1 (comprehensive, post-1982 condos) or § 34-36 (older condos).
- The entity law — the Nonprofit Corporation Act (§ 7-6) if incorporated.
- Federal law — FHA, ADA, SCRA, OTARD, Flag Act.
Because the right combination depends on whether you're a condominium and how the association is organized, a licensed Rhode Island attorney is the foundation for any specific question — from records to fines to the assessment lien.