R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-27 § 34-27-7

Notice to tenants of foreclosure sale

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/15/2026Rhode IslandNotices & Entry

Operative Text

R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-27 § 34-27-7
(a) The mortgagee shall provide to each bona fide tenant a written notice: (1) Stating
that the real estate is scheduled to be sold at foreclosure; (2) Stating the date,
time, and place initially scheduled for the sale; (3) Informing of the availability
and advisability of counseling and information services; (4) Providing the address
and telephone number of the Rhode Island housing help center and the United Way 2-1-1 center; (5) Reminding the recipient to continue paying rent to the landlord until
the foreclosure sale occurs; and (6) Stating that this notice is not an eviction notice.
The notice shall be mailed by first-class mail at least one business day prior to
the first publication of the notice required by § 34-27-4. A form of written notice meeting the requirements of this section shall be promulgated
by the department of business regulation for use by mortgagees no later than sixty
(60) days after the effective date of this section. The notice may be addressed to
"Occupant" and mailed to each dwelling unit of the real estate identified in the application
for the loan secured by the mortgage being foreclosed. Failure of the mortgagee to
provide notice as provided herein shall not affect the validity of the foreclosure.


(b) For purposes of this section, a lease or tenancy shall be considered bona fide only
if:


(1) The mortgagor, or the child, spouse, or parent of the mortgagor, under the contract
is not the tenant;


(2) The lease or tenancy was the result of an arms-length transaction; and


(3) The lease or tenancy requires the receipt of rent that is not substantially less than
fair-market rent for the property or the unit's rent is reduced or subsidized due
to a federal, state, or local subsidy.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-27-7, when a mortgagee initiates foreclosure proceedings, it must send a written notice to each qualifying tenant at least one business day before the first published foreclosure notice. The notice must disclose the scheduled sale date, remind tenants to keep paying rent until the sale occurs, and clarify that the notice is not an eviction. Importantly, a mortgagee's failure to send this notice does not invalidate the foreclosure itself.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 15, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Mortgagees subject to § 34-27-7 generally send a written notice—using the form promulgated by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation—to each dwelling unit by first-class mail before the first foreclosure publication. The notice must include the sale date, housing counseling resources such as the RI Housing Help Center and United Way 2-1-1, and a reminder that rent continues to be owed to the current landlord. Addressing the notice to 'Occupant' at each unit satisfies the delivery requirement.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Section 34-27-7 entitles bona fide tenants to written advance notice of a foreclosure sale, along with information about housing counseling resources including the Rhode Island Housing Help Center and United Way 2-1-1. Tenants should continue paying rent to their current landlord until the foreclosure sale actually occurs. Those who believe they qualify as bona fide tenants and did not receive proper notice may wish to contact a tenant-rights organization or consult the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation for guidance.

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.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 15, 2026
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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-27-4
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References In

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Related Rules

§ 3
Written notice of identity and address of foreclosing owner
§ 165.05
NOTICES
§ 8.60.080
Failure to pay fines

Source Information

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