West Haven, CT Short-Term Rentals: Permit Requirements (2026)

Connecticut has no statewide short-term rental licensing program. Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 12-407(a)(16) and Sec. 12-407(a)(17) include short-term rentals of 30 consecutive days or fewer within the definitions of 'hotel' and 'lodging house' for purposes of the room occupancy tax under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 12-408. The room occupancy tax rate is 15% for short-term rentals; bed-and-breakfast establishments are taxed at 11%. Public Act 19-117 (2019) made short-term rental facilitators such as Airbnb and Vrbo responsible for collecting and remitting the tax on behalf of hosts using their platforms. Hosts who rent directly must register with the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) and file Form OP-210 each month; the registration fee is $100 (waived if already registered for sales and use tax). Town-level rules vary across New Haven County. The City of New Haven has explored STR registration ordinances, and shoreline towns such as Branford, Madison, and Guilford treat seasonal rentals through zoning review; Waterbury and other NVCOG cities apply general residential zoning. Operators should consult both DRS for tax obligations and the town zoning office for local permits.