Stamford, CT Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual cap
- 90 short-term rental days per calendar year
- Per-stay limit
- 1 to 27 consecutive days per transaction
- Excluded uses
- Hotels, B&Bs and below-market-rate units don't count
- Low-density districts
- RA-3 through R-6 require owner-occupied hosting only
- Effective date
- Adopted under 223-10, effective June 7, 2023
Summary
Stamford limits every short-term rental stay to 27 consecutive days and caps total short-term rental activity at 90 days per calendar year on any one property. The city defines the eligible property, operator and transaction narrowly, carving out hotels, lodging houses, bed and breakfasts and below-market-rate units entirely.
Short-Term Rental Transaction shall mean a Short-Term Rental for a period of one (1) to 27 consecutive days but for no more than 90 days per calendar year in total. Short-Term Rental Property means a Dwelling Unit, or any portion thereof, that is (1) a property designed for residential use (commercial and industrial spaces are not eligible), (2) the subject of a Short-Term Rental Transaction, and (3) not a hotel, lodging house, bed and breakfast establishment, any other commercial residential establishment, below market rate unit, a public housing unit or a homeless shelter. Short-Term Rental Operator shall mean the owner, lessee, sub-lessee or other provider of a Short-Term Rental Property who offers the Short-Term Rental Property for occupancy pursuant to a Short-Term Rental Transaction. In all other Zoning Districts where residential Uses are permitted, Short-Term Rentals shall be permitted unless prohibited by private agreements between owner and tenant of the Short-Term Rental Property.
Full Breakdown
Stamford's Zoning Regulations define a Short-Term Rental Transaction as a rental for a period of one to 27 consecutive days, but the annual total across all such transactions on a property cannot exceed 90 days in a calendar year. The 90-day ceiling caps how much of a property's use can be short-term rather than long-term or owner-occupied housing over the course of a year, and it applies on top of the separate two-renter occupancy limit and the requirement that renters stay within the Principal Dwelling.
The regulations also define who and what is eligible: a Short-Term Rental Operator is the owner, lessee, sub-lessee or other provider who offers the property for occupancy under a Short-Term Rental Transaction, and a Short-Term Rental Property must be a dwelling unit designed for residential use, meaning commercial and industrial spaces cannot qualify, and it cannot be a hotel, lodging house, bed and breakfast establishment, any other commercial residential establishment, a below-market-rate unit, a public housing unit or a homeless shelter. In Stamford's lowest-density single-family districts, RA-3, RA-2, RA-1, R-20, R-10, R-7½ and R-6, short-term rentals of any length are barred unless the operator lives there as a primary residence while guests are present.
Elsewhere, short-term rentals are allowed unless a private agreement between owner and tenant forbids them, and they remain flatly prohibited on non-residential property. The 90-day cap was adopted under application 223-10, effective June 7, 2023, and is current through the citywide amendment cycle ending May 31, 2026.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the 90-day annual cap or renting for more than 27 consecutive days puts a property out of compliance with Section 4 of the Zoning Regulations. The Zoning Enforcement Officer can inspect records, order the excess rental activity stopped, and pursue court action to restrain the violation under Section 1.C.2, with penalties set by Connecticut General Statutes and City Charter Section 248. Enforcement orders are appealable to the Zoning Board of Appeals within 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days a year can I short-term rent my Stamford home?
Does a bed and breakfast count toward the 90-day cap?
What is the longest single short-term rental stay allowed in Stamford?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stamford
Compare Stamford to another location·View the Connecticut short-term rentals overview
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