Providence City Property Search
Property records in Providence City are official records containing real estate-related data. A Providence City property search looks into these records to find details about properties in the municipality.
Members of the public conduct a property search for different purposes, including to find information about a property's ownership, physical characteristics, taxation, and appraisal, among other details.
In Providence City, documents concerning real estate are recorded on request for a fee at the Office of the Recorder. The Recorder of Deeds serves as the official property records custodian and provides recorded property documents in physical and electronic formats to interested members of the public. The Providence City Assessor's Office also keeps real estate records, mainly those on property taxation in the city.
Persons seeking property documents in Providence City can access records as far back as 1984, although the Recorder's Office has indices dating back to 1677.
Is Providence City Property Records Public?
Yes, property records are considered public in Providence City. As provided in R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-1, members of the public have the right to access public records kept by government agencies in Providence City, including the city's Recorder and Assessor's offices.
However, certain information/records are considered confidential, such as:
- Sensitive personal information like a Social Security number
- A property owner's financial information
- Certain sales records
What Do Providence City Property Records Contain?
Different government agencies in Providence City maintain property records. Hence, the contents of a record may differ depending on the document type and the organization preserving it. Nonetheless, the following may be found in Providence City property records:
- Recording information (document type, recorded date, recording status, remark)
- Parcel identification
- Property ownership details (the owner's name, mailing address, and the property's ownership history)
- Property/land information (location, size, zone, boundaries, land use, plats, maps, view, neighborhood, building sub-area, photographs)
- Tax/assessment information, including assessed values and tax payment history
- Building information (design, year built, components) and land improvements, if any
- Sale information
Where to Perform a Providence City Property Lookup
Individuals can conduct an in-person or online search for Providence City property records.
The Recorder of Deeds and Tax Assessor's offices provide online property search portals for title research through third-party vendors. Information about these databases is available on the respective office's website. Usually, users require a property owner's name, property address, or plat and lot to search either database.
Persons interested in researching Providence City property records can also stop by the Recorder or Assessor's Office during working hours. The Office of the Recorder of Deeds, for example, provides computers that requesters can use to search the city's property records as far back as 1984. Persons seeking older records can check the city's digital archives for grantor/grantee indexes.
Below is the Recorder of Deeds address:
Providence City Recorder of Deeds
25 Dorrance Street
Room 506
Providence RI 02903
Phone: (401) 680-5545
Fax: (401) 278-0614
Email: recorder@providenceri.gov
Typically, members of the public can look up a Providence City property record for free at these offices or using the available online property search tools. However, a fee is often assessed to obtain a copy of a property record.
How to Perform a Property Owner Lookup in Providence City
Current property owner information is available in records maintained by the Assessor's Office in Providence City. As such, a person can contact/visit the Assessor's Office or search the agency's property lookup database to retrieve information about a property's owner.
Inquirers may also search deeds and other recorded documents containing ownership information at the city's Recorder of Deeds Office.
How to Find Providence City Property Records Online
Providence property records are available through online repositories managed by the Assessor and the Register of Deeds offices.
In addition, some third-party websites provide property search databases that anyone can access to find property records in Providence City and other U.S. regions. However, one may need to register for access or subscribe to download or print documents.
How to Find Property Owner by Address for Free
The names of property owners are considered public record in Providence City unless restricted by law. Thus, interested persons can easily determine the legal owner of a local property through official sources.
The popular method for conducting a property owner-by-address search for free is to access the City Assessor's Property Lookup portal (accessible from the homepage of the Assessor's website). After accessing the tool, one can enter a complete or partial address to view ownership records.
Providence City Property Tax Lookup
The City of Providence Tax Assessor maintains property tax records. One may carry out a Providence City property tax lookup on the Assessor's Property Lookup portal or by contacting/visiting the office within normal business hours.
Property tax records contain information about a property's tax payment history. These records can be obtained by property owners, intending buyers, and others for different reasons, including determining the tax burden on a property and looking up delinquent tax payments.
How to Find Providence City Property Appraiser
Property appraisers determine the fair market value of properties for insurance, mortgage lending, and other related real estate transactions. Persons looking for Providence City property appraisers can access the Division of Commercial Licensing and Regulation's License Lookup tool. Here's how to search:
- Go to the Division's website.
- Select "Licensed Appraisers" from the list, then select "List of Licensees".
- On the next page, click the "Real Estate Appraisers, Salespersons, and Brokers" option and tick the "Licensed Appraisers" box.
- Next, click "Select Criteria" to open a search filter box. Among the search tabs provided, enter "Providence" into the City tab. One may also select an appraiser license type if applicable.
- Select "Close Criteria," then "Continue".
Subsequently, the user will be redirected to a new page where they must select the roster format that they wish to download (i.e., Excel, CSV, and Text). There, they can also choose to download records of all appraisers in Rhode Island or limit their inquiry to Providence City appraiser records (usually the second download option). Any downloaded roster contains the names, license types, license numbers, license statuses, complete addresses, and business phone numbers of local appraisers.
Providence City Property Assessor
The Providence City Tax Assessor performs the following functions:
- Annually values properties within the county for taxation purposes. This includes residential, commercial, and industrial properties.
- Reviews tax appeals
- Applies tax exemptions
- Maintains property tax records
The City Assessor's Office is located at the following address:
25 Dorrance Street
Room 208
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 680-5229
Fax: (401) 421-5902
Email; taxassessors@providenceri.gov
