🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - West Hartford, CT
West Hartford Rethinks Short-Term Rentals After Court Ruling Shakes Zoning Rules
West Hartford Rewrites the Short-Term Rental Playbook
A court ruling has pushed West Hartford into unfamiliar territory: regulating short-term rentals it once said were outright banned. After losing a lawsuit brought by property owner Mark Chu, the town is now drafting an ordinance to formally allow and control short term rentals even as it continues to fight the decision on appeal.
Chu sued the town in 2024 after being ordered to stop operating short-term rentals at his Raymond Road properties. West Hartford claimed its zoning prohibited “transient” occupants, but a judge ruled in October that the town never clearly defined what makes a rental short-term versus long-term. That lack of clarity ultimately allowed Chu to keep renting his properties.
Michael Walsh
In response, town officials are shifting strategy. A proposed ordinance, introduced at a recent Town Council committee meeting, would establish a licensing system requiring property owners to register short-term rentals for a $100 fee. It also draws a firm line in the sand, defining short-term rentals as paid stays of 30 days or fewer.
The proposal includes tight geographic limits. Short-term rentals would only be allowed in denser residential zones near commercial corridors, not across all neighborhoods. Town Planner Todd Dumais described these areas as already suited for more intensive use, helping buffer single-family districts from potential disruption.
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Dodge cautioned that caps can create unfair competition and that fees must reflect actual administrative costs. He also warned against town-wide approval, pointing to other communities where short-term rentals eroded long-term housing availability.
Housing concerns ran deep. Council member Jason Wang even floated the idea of banning short-term rentals entirely, noting some units command $500 per night. Dodge countered that a ban could backfire, potentially grandfathering existing rentals and limiting the town’s regulatory power.
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