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Selectmen direct staff to draft short-term rental ordinance after resident complaints
Summary
Following complaints about parties at short-term rentals, Windsor Locks selectmen instructed staff to draft an ordinance (instead of a zoning change), ask planning & zoning for input, and have the town attorney review it before formal consideration.
Board members discussed recent complaints to the building department about houses operating as short-term rentals and the difficulty of enforcing short-term rental rules through zoning, citing Connecticut case law requiring specific standards. Planner/Presenter (Speaker 5) recommended pursuing an ordinance administered through the Board of Selectmen rather than a zoning regulation to enable police enforcement, avoid grandfathering existing operators, and allow registration and annual fees.
Selectmen agreed to have planning and zoning review a draft ordinance and to have the town attorney review legal language before the board considers it, and staff indicated they would prepare a draft and look at examples from other towns. The planning commission’s input was requested to ensure the board did not usurp zoning authority, and the chair emphasized the need for attorney review prior to public hearings.
Why it matters: Choosing an ordinance framework would allow police to enforce violations outside of business hours and the town to require registration that identifies responsible operators for late-night disturbances.
Next steps: Staff will draft an ordinance, route it to planning & zoning for comment, and obtain the town attorney’s legal review before returning the proposal to the Board of Selectmen.
