Transfer tax
Rhode Island charges a real estate conveyance tax of $2.30 per $500 of consideration. It is customarily charged to the grantor, and how it applies to a gift with no consideration is confirmed when we prepare the deed.
Donate a house, land or building in Rhode Island, in any of the 39 cities and towns
Rhode Island property specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate Real Estate in Rhode Island
Rhode Island records deeds with the city or town clerk rather than a county office, and each of the 39 municipalities keeps its own land records and sets its own rules around municipal lien certificates. The property itself is mostly older, often multifamily, and increasingly exposed to coastal flooding along the bay.
Fully IRS Compliant
We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
Rhode Island rules for a property donation
Federal tax rules are the same in every state. These three are set by Rhode Island and by the county where the property sits.
Municipal land records and lien certificates
There is no county recording here. Deeds go to the clerk in the city or town where the property sits, and most municipalities require a municipal lien certificate showing taxes and utility charges settled before a transfer is processed. We confirm the municipality’s requirements before drafting.
Recording
Deeds are recorded with the city or town clerk for the city where the property sits. You sign before a notary wherever you live, and we handle the filing.
What Rhode Island owners call us about
Four situations that recur in a small state.
A three-family held for generations
Providence and Pawtucket multifamily housing owned by one family for decades, now inherited by heirs who live elsewhere. We take them tenanted.
An older house with lead paint
Pre-1978 housing where lead compliance is a real cost for a landlord. It is a number in the review rather than a bar.
A coastal lot inside a setback
Shoreline parcels subject to coastal management setbacks and erosion rates, where building is off the table but value is not.
A house tied up in an estate
Property sitting through probate while taxes, insurance and heat run on.
Rhode Island property we accept
Each links to the full guide for that type, including how a donation compares with selling.
Houses in Rhode IslandTriple deckers, mill houses, capes and colonials.
Condos and rentalsCondominium units and small multifamily buildings, tenants in place.
Rhode Island landCoastal lots, wooded parcels and infill land.
Farm groundHay, nursery and pasture ground.
Commercial propertyMain street buildings, storefronts and small offices.
Industrial buildingsFormer mill space and warehouses.
What a donation looks like by region
Six Rhode Islands, all within forty minutes of each other.
Providence
Triple deckers and two-families, lead paint compliance costs and lots between occupied houses.
The Blackstone valley
Mill housing in Pawtucket, Central Falls and Woonsocket, with large empty mill buildings alongside.
The East Bay
Older waterfront housing, flood exposure and small commercial in the village centers.
South County
Coastal setbacks, seasonal housing and wooded inland parcels.
Newport County
High-value historic property with maintenance obligations, and coastal parcels subject to erosion.
Western Rhode Island
Rural acreage, farm ground and houses on private roads.
Rhode Island real estate donation questions, answered
Is a donated deed subject to Rhode Island transfer tax?+
Rhode Island charges a real estate conveyance tax of $2.30 per $500 of consideration. It is customarily charged to the grantor, and how it applies to a gift with no consideration is confirmed when we prepare the deed.
I live outside Rhode Island. Do I have to travel there to sign?+
No. We prepare the deed in the form Rhode Island requires for the county where the property sits, you sign before a notary where you live, and we record it with the city or town clerk.
There is no county recorder. Where does my deed go?+
To the clerk in the city or town where the property sits. Each municipality keeps its own records and most want a municipal lien certificate first. We confirm which office and what it requires at the start.
Does Rhode Island give a state tax deduction for a property donation?+
Rhode Island has a state income tax, and how it treats a charitable contribution is set by Rhode Island law rather than by us. Your federal deduction follows the usual IRS rules. Take the state question to your own advisor.
My rental has lead paint and I cannot afford compliance. Is it donatable?+
Reviewed rather than refused. Lead compliance is a real number for any landlord and it is weighed against what the building is worth. Tell us the number if you have a quote, and if you do not, say so.
We do not provide tax or legal advice. State and local transfer tax rules change; we confirm current requirements when we prepare each deed. Consult your own advisor.
Tell us about your Rhode Island property and we will review it
The county and a parcel number are enough to start.