Short-Term Rental Laws in Mystic, Connecticut

Mystic (village spanning the Towns of Stonington and Groton) has no dedicated STR ordinance — regulation falls back to existing residential zoning (which broadly permits residential rental use), CT State Department of Revenue Services 15% room occupancy tax registration, and the underlying Building Code for life-safety. Stonington Town zoning broadly permits residential rental; Groton Town zoning is slightly more restrictive in some residential districts but generally permits rental use. The mariner-village historic character and tourism (Mystic Seaport, Mystic Aquarium) support a generally permissive posture.

Operators must hold a short-term rental permit before listing. See the official permit portal.

CT Department of Revenue Services administers the 15% room occupancy tax — register via the myconneCT portal with monthly remittance. No municipal STR permit required in either Stonington or Groton (as of 2026); compliance is primarily tax + zoning + building code. Operating without DRS registration: back-tax + per-month penalty. Town Building Officials handle complaint-driven life-safety enforcement. The lack of a dedicated STR ordinance means HOA covenants (where applicable) are often the binding restriction — verify HOA bylaws separately.

Combined short-term lodging tax in Mystic is approximately 15.000% of gross nightly revenue (state sales + state TRT + local TRT + applicable resort/city options).

CT State room occupancy tax 15% (one of the highest state-level lodging tax rates in the US; no county or municipal lodging tax layer) on transient lodging

Verify the current combined rate via the Utah State Tax Commission before remitting — rates drift quarterly.