We mostly looked through Zillow or realtor.com, because when I called property management companies and realtors, this is what several recommended to find legit landlords. We discovered that we needed to be here in person to look at rentals, because the houses are, more often than not, rented same day or next day. And since rental houses aren’t that available, expect to make more than one trip and to only find 1-2 houses to look at during each trip. Be prepared for sticker shock. We were looking for a small 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with a yard that would take one dog, and the prices were at least double what you listed in safe areas. Most of the potential landlords required us to send a photo of our dog, cause they screen out rentals to families with certain breeds. You have a small dog so that should not be a problem for you. Rentals in Rhode Island are seasonal. Most around Providence coincide with university schedules in the fall but landlords rent them early. At one point I was very excited because I started to see some great rental houses in Portsmouth and Newport with leases starting in June and rent that wasn’t too high. But when I called the landlords, it turns out they only rent to military families and the landlords set the rents to match military housing stipends. Check prior posts on Reddit to research neighborhoods. Providence is a city where one block may be safe but another one isn’t. Sorry to not be more encouraging, but the market here is very difficult.