- Does Rhode Island sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Neither in the usual sense. The city or town tax collector sells a tax title by collector's deed, and that deed is subject to the owner's right of redemption. It is held as security until the owner redeems or a Superior Court decree forecloses redemption, so it works like a redeemable deed. No county and no state agency sells anything; each of the 39 cities and towns runs its own sale.
- What do bidders compete on at a Rhode Island tax sale?
- Ownership share, not price or rate. Each parcel sells for exactly the taxes, interest and charges due, and the winning bidder is the one who will take the smallest undivided part of the land for that amount, never less than 1 percent. The whole parcel is sold only if nobody offers to take a part.
- What does the buyer earn if the owner redeems?
- A statutory penalty on the purchase price: 10 percent if the owner redeems within six months of the sale, plus 1 percent more for each month after that (16 percent at one year), plus any later taxes the buyer paid with 1 percent a month interest and the buyer's costs. The 10 percent is owed in full even on a quick redemption. The penalty is the same whatever share the buyer bid.
- How long is the redemption period in Rhode Island?
- At least one year. A buyer cannot petition to foreclose until a year after the sale, and the owner may redeem any time before the petition is filed, so the window has no fixed end. Shorter routes exist for abandoned property and for vacant, vandalized or non-code-compliant buildings, and Rhode Island Housing tax titles cannot be foreclosed for five years.
- When does a Rhode Island tax sale buyer get the property?
- Only after the Superior Court enters a decree foreclosing the right of redemption on the buyer's petition. The buyer has no right to possession, rents or profits for the first year after the sale, and after that year shares legal responsibility for code compliance with the owner. If the winning bid was for less than 100 percent, the buyer ends up owning only that undivided share.
- When are Rhode Island tax sales held?
- Each city or town sets its own date; no statute fixes a month and no state office publishes a calendar. The collector must post the notice and publish the parcel list in a local newspaper at least three weeks before the sale. Check each municipality's collector and its newspaper legal notices.
- Can I buy Rhode Island tax titles over the counter?
- Only if a city or town chooses to. When no one bids at the sale, the collector buys the parcel for the municipality, and the treasurer may later assign that tax title to a private buyer for the amount then needed to redeem. There is no statewide list; ask the treasurer.
- Who is barred from bidding?
- Anyone delinquent in taxes on property in the same city or town, including officers and owners of more than 10 percent of a delinquent entity, unless they are current on a payment plan the collector approved. The collector may require an affidavit. A buyer who does not live in the municipality must also appoint an in-state agent before receiving a deed.
Ready to act on these rules? Follow how to buy Rhode Island redeemable tax deeds for the registration, bidding, and post-sale sequence in order.
Verified Sep 27, 2026 against Rhode Island statutes.
Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.