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Important legal disclaimer.
HOA Ballot is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Nothing
on this page, and nothing HOA Ballot says, does, or generates, is legal
advice or may be relied on as legally valid or sufficient. Your
association and its legal counsel are solely responsible for verifying
the approval threshold, legal compliance, amendment language, filing
requirements, and legal sufficiency of the vote. Please independently
verify all information and consult a licensed attorney. Statute
references on this page are shown for transparency about what we review;
they are not legal advice — confirm every requirement with your
association's attorney.
Rhode Island has not enacted a standalone planned-community or general HOA statute, so a non-condominium association is generally governed by its recorded declaration and covenants, plus the Rhode Island Nonprofit Corporation Act if it is incorporated (R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-6-1 et seq.). The amendment threshold and ballot rules therefore come mainly from your recorded documents rather than a uniform state default. We typically start by reading those documents to confirm the percentage and method that apply to your community.
Condominiums (RI Condominium Act)
Condominiums created on or after July 1, 1982 generally fall under the Rhode Island Condominium Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-1.01 et seq.), which is modeled on the Uniform Condominium Act; some older condominiums may instead sit under the prior Condominium Ownership Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36-1 et seq.). The Act's default to amend a declaration is approval by owners holding at least 67% of the association's votes, or any larger majority the declaration specifies (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-2.17). An amendment is generally effective only once it is recorded where the condominium is located.
How the vote can run
Rhode Island now expressly permits condominium associations to hold meetings and cast votes by electronic means, including video or telephonic conferencing, electronic voting platforms, or mail-in ballot (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-3.08). Meeting notice is generally sent not less than 10 nor more than 60 days in advance, and notice may also be sent electronically to an email address the owner has designated in writing. Votes may also be cast by proxy, which generally remains valid for up to one year unless revoked (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-3.10).
Before we quote
Rhode Island details that shape your vote
These are the things we check so your quote and timeline are realistic —
not legal advice, just the questions a careful Rhode Island vote has to answer.
The Condominium Act's default to amend a declaration is owners holding at least 67% of association votes, or a higher figure if the declaration sets one (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-2.17).
The recorded declaration controls, so it should be read first; it may require 75%, 80%, or even unanimity for certain measures.
Certain changes generally need unanimous owner consent in Rhode Island, including changing unit boundaries, allocated interests, the number of units, use restrictions, or special declarant rights (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-2.17).
Electronic and mail-in ballots and remote meetings are now expressly authorized for condominium associations (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-3.08).
Meeting notice is generally given not less than 10 nor more than 60 days in advance, and notice may also be sent electronically to an email address the owner has designated in writing (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-3.08).
Proxies are generally valid for up to one year and revocable only by actual notice (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-3.10).
The default quorum for an owners' meeting is generally 20% of the votes eligible for board election, present in person or by proxy (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-3.09).
An amendment is generally effective only when recorded in the land evidence records of each municipality where the condominium sits — Rhode Island records at the municipal, not county, level — with a one-year window to challenge it (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-36.1-2.17).
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