Narragansett's Short-Term Rental Ordinance, Explained

Narragansett's 2024 short-term rental ordinance requires owners to register every rental with the town, permits short-term stays only through a capped permit system, and bans any rental shorter than seven consecutive nights. It also limits occupancy to two people per bedroom and shrinks the number of available short-term permits year over year. That is the ordinance as written, but here is the part every buyer needs to hear first: large sections of it have been challenged in court and enforcement of the permit caps was blocked by a Superior Court injunction. Before you buy anything in Narragansett with rental income in your plan, confirm the current, enforceable rules directly with the Town of Narragansett, because this is a moving target.

I write about this the way I would explain it to a client sitting across my desk. I am a Rhode Island and Massachusetts agent, not your attorney, so treat everything below as general guidance and verify the specifics before you sign anything.

### What does Narragansett's short-term rental ordinance actually say?

The town defines a short-term rental as a dwelling rented for fewer than 30 consecutive nights. On top of that definition, the ordinance prohibits any stay shorter than seven consecutive nights, which effectively kills the weekend-flip model that a lot of investors assume they can run at the beach. It requires owners to register, to hold a short-term rental permit, and it caps the total number of those permits town-wide.

The permit cap is the most aggressive piece. The ordinance set the ceiling at 1,100 permits for the year beginning September 2024, dropping to 1,000 in 2025 and 900 in 2026, with a waitlist once applications exceed the cap. That declining cap is the town's stated tool for shrinking the short-term rental footprint over time, and it is exactly the provision that landlords went to court to stop.

Here are the headline rules as the ordinance was written. Read every one as "subject to litigation and change," and confirm the live version with the town before you rely on it.

### Why is the ordinance tied up in court?

Because a group of landlords sued, and so far they have been winning the early rounds. In October 2024 a Rhode Island Superior Court judge granted a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction that blocked the town from enforcing the permit-cap regime and related restrictions.

The court's reasoning matters for anyone trying to predict where this lands. The judge found that the town likely did not follow the Zoning Enabling Act's required procedures, which demand public hearings and proper notice before a town adopts or amends zoning rules. The judge also signaled that regulating short-term rentals may be a matter of statewide concern, meaning a town might need authorization from the General Assembly to regulate it the way Narragansett tried to. None of that is a final judgment on the merits, but it is why the toughest provisions are on hold rather than in force.

### So can I still short-term rent a house in Narragansett right now?

Practically, the town's ordinary rental registration has continued to operate even while the short-term permit caps are enjoined. The town extended registration deadlines during the litigation and kept collecting the annual per-unit registration fee, so registration is not something the court wiped away.

What is genuinely uncertain is the enforceability of the seven-night minimum, the declining permit cap, and the waitlist. Those are the pieces sitting under the injunction. That uncertainty is the whole point: you cannot underwrite a purchase on rules that a judge has paused and a higher court could later revive, reshape, or throw out. If your entire investment thesis depends on nightly Airbnb income, Narragansett is currently the riskiest South County town to bet on, and you should confirm the enforceable rules in writing before you commit.

### How is this different from other Rhode Island beach towns?

Narragansett went further and faster than most of its neighbors, which is exactly why it drew a lawsuit. A declining permit cap that is designed to shrink the market over time is more aggressive than what many nearby towns have on the books, and it treats short-term rentals as something to actively reduce rather than simply license and tax.

If you are comparing coastal options, it is worth reading the short-term rental rules in Newport alongside this, because the two towns take noticeably different approaches to the same problem. The broader lesson holds across the state: the rules that decide whether your numbers work are municipal, and they change.

### What should a buyer do before making an offer here?

Treat the rental strategy as a due-diligence item, not an assumption. If you are buying a second home in Rhode Island and the plan is to offset costs with rental income, the current legal fog in Narragansett means you should build your budget so it survives even if short-term renting is restricted or capped.

A few concrete moves. Call the Town of Narragansett rental registration office and ask, in plain terms, what is enforceable today. Ask whether a permit is currently available for the specific property or whether it would land on a waitlist. Get any representation about existing rental permits in writing as part of your purchase agreement. And if you are weighing a shoreline property specifically, pair this research with the extra layers that come from buying a waterfront coastal home in RI, because coastal regulation and rental regulation stack on top of each other.

You can start with the town's own materials. The Town of Narragansett rental registration page is the primary source, and it is where the current forms, fees, and deadlines live.

### Frequently Asked Questions

#### Is Narragansett's short-term rental ordinance in effect right now?

Partly. The ordinary rental registration requirement has continued to operate, but a Superior Court injunction blocked enforcement of the permit caps and related short-term restrictions during the litigation. Confirm the current enforceable status with the town before relying on any single provision.

#### What is the minimum stay for a short-term rental in Narragansett?

As written, the ordinance bans any rental shorter than seven consecutive nights and defines short-term as fewer than 30 consecutive nights. The seven-night minimum is one of the provisions caught up in the court challenge, so verify whether it is currently being enforced.

#### How many short-term rental permits does Narragansett allow?

The ordinance set a town-wide cap of 1,100 permits for the year starting September 2024, dropping to 1,000 in 2025 and 900 in 2026, with a waitlist beyond the cap. This declining cap is the central provision that landlords sued to stop.

#### What is the occupancy limit for a short-term rental?

The ordinance limits occupancy to two people per bedroom, with an exception for children two years old and younger. As with everything here, confirm the current standard with the town.

#### Does registration apply to a regular long-term rental too?

Yes. Narragansett requires owners to register rentals with the town before a tenant occupies the unit, including yearly, academic, and summer rentals, not only short-term ones. The registration piece has stayed in force even while the short-term permit caps are enjoined.

Rental rules should not be the thing that surprises you after closing. If you are looking at Narragansett or anywhere in South County and want a clear read on what your rental strategy can realistically support, reach out and let's map it against the current rules before you write an offer. Start by comparing your options with the short-term rental rules in Newport.