Care and Use of Premises

Possession

Your landlord must provide you with premises that are in a fit and habitable condition at the start of the lease term. You must leave the premises in the same condition, normal wear and tear excepted, when you move out.

Moving In

On moving in, promptly complete a detailed list of any problems you find with the property (a Move-In Report) if you have not already done so. This record of existing conditions of the premises ensures that you will not be held liable for them. Submit a copy of the report to your landlord. When you move out, this record will help prevent disputes about the condition of the premises for which you could be liable. Should you discover a necessary repair after you have signed a lease and moved in, and your landlord does not respond to your request to repair it, the Building Inspectors Department and the Division of Code Enforcement of the City of Providence can order repairs of defects and give landlords deadlines for doing so. You will find contact information for those offices and many other useful sources of information at the end of this guide.

Repairs and Maintenance

Your landlord is responsible for:

  • Making major repairs, in most cases
  • Maintaining the premises to comply with all applicable building and minimum housing codes, health and safety requirements, which include:
    • Continuous hot and cold running water.
    • A minimum temperature of 67 degrees Fahrenheit, if the landlord is responsible for providing heat between October and May.
    • Repairing and maintaining any portion of the premises which remain under his/her control, including any portion of the building which is not expressly leased to any tenants (including hallways, basements, stairways, fire exits, and exterior areas that are part of the property).
    • Extermination of any vermin in common areas, though you may be held responsible if your actions have caused a living unit to become infested with vermin.

You are responsible for:

  • Repairs required as a result of negligence or purposeful destruction on your part or on the part of your guests.
  • Maintaining the premises at an acceptable level of cleanliness.

Occupancy

The City of Providence zoning ordinance states that no more than "three unrelated persons may occupy any living unit.”

Trash and Recycling

Recycling is mandatory in the City of Providence. Your landlord is responsible for providing trash receptacles with covers that meet city code requirements. You are responsible for:

  • Separating recycling from trash.
  • Collecting and removing trash from your building to a designated site/curbside.
  • Placing your recycling receptacle at a designated site/curbside.
  • Placing your recycling and trash out after dark on the night before pick up.
  • Removing empty containers from the curbside by dark on trash day. Trash and recycling are collected on the same day, which on the East Side is Monday.

For recycling information, visit the RI Resource Recovery Corporation website. The Department of Public Works (467-7950) can provide the trash pick-up schedule for your area.