Rhode Island General Laws Title 34. Property § 34-18-22.3. Nonresident landlord to designate agent for service of process

A landlord who is not a resident of this state shall designate and continuously maintain an agent upon whom service may be made of any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served, including, but not limited to, notices of minimum housing code violations. The agent shall be a resident of this state or a corporation authorized to do business in this state. The landlord's designation shall be in writing, shall include the name and address of the agent, shall include the street address of each property designated to the agent, and shall be filed with the secretary of state and with the clerk of the city or town wherein the dwelling unit is located. Any landlord who fails to comply with the requirements of this section shall be subject to a civil fine of one hundred dollars ($100) per month up to a maximum of one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200) in a calendar year or if the monthly rent exceeds one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200), the civil fine shall be one month's rent for the calendar year, payable to the municipality.