The bill amends Section 42-63.1-14 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-63.1 entitled "Tourism and Development" to regulate the offering of residential units for tourist or transient use through hosting platforms. It mandates that rental properties offered on hosting platforms that collect and remit sales and hotel taxes must be registered with the department of business regulation and prohibits local governments from banning such listings. The bill specifies that hosting platforms must comply with room reseller requirements to benefit from this prohibition and that the division of taxation will confirm hosting platform compliance upon request from local authorities.

The bill also outlines the registration process, which includes providing the owner's principal place of business, contact information, property address, number of rooms, ownership status, intended use, and a new requirement for a registration number for the short-term rental property. The department of business regulation is tasked with enforcing these regulations, creating an online database for registered properties, and may charge a registration fee. Non-compliant property owners will face fines, and hosting platforms are required to advertise only registered rentals, including the registration number in the advertisement. Violations by hosting platforms will also result in fines. The act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
6290: 42-63.1-14