Old Lyme, Connecticut Short-Term Rental Market
The Old Lyme area STR market averaged $323 a night at 59.2% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Old Lyme, Connecticut is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Connecticut Area market area is 59%. average monthly revenue in the Connecticut Area market area is $4,838. average daily rate in the Connecticut Area market area is $323. the top operator in the Connecticut Area market area is Evolve with 83 listings. market score is 57/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Connecticut Area regional market, which includes Old Lyme. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Old Lyme.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Old Lyme, a small coastal town at the mouth of the Connecticut River in the Mystic Country tourism region of southeastern Connecticut, has its short-term rental performance tracked as part of a wider regional StaySTRA data series; this profile omits total listing counts, bedroom and channel mix, and property manager rankings since that dimension and property manager data is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Old Lyme.
The Old Lyme area’s own STR performance averaged $323.08 a night (ADR) at 59.2% occupancy in June 2026, generating an average of $4,838 in monthly revenue per listing. Revenue is up 6.2% year over year and occupancy is up 3.6%, while ADR is down 2.1%, meaning more nights are booking even at a slightly lower rate.
Revenue varies by property type in the Old Lyme area itself: apartment-style units average $3,234 a month, entire-place units average $5,243, and standalone houses average $5,389, the highest of the three.
Old Lyme draws cultural heritage tourists to the Florence Griswold Museum and the legacy of the American Impressionist Lyme Art Colony, alongside summer beach tourism at Sound View Beach and White Sands Beach along Long Island Sound.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34% | $183 | $1,914 |
| Feb | 46% | $186 | $2,049 |
| Mar | 44% | $183 | $2,184 |
| Apr | 53% | $198 | $2,528 |
| May | 55% | $236 | $2,976 |
| Jun | 59% | $273 | $3,945 |
| Jul | 67% | $283 | $4,849 |
| Aug | 66% | $288 | $4,975 |
| Sep | 50% | $244 | $3,281 |
| Oct | 50% | $225 | $3,113 |
| Nov | 42% | $210 | $2,465 |
| Dec | 44% | $208 | $2,467 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Connecticut Area market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Connecticut Area market as a whole, which includes Old Lyme, so these counts are not Old Lyme-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 83 | 3,958 | ★ 4.64 |
| 2 | iUgo | 42 | 3,065 | ★ 4.84 |
| 3 | Laveer Properties | 25 | 5,194 | ★ 4.93 |
| 4 | PMI East Lyme | 21 | 515 | ★ 4.84 |
| 5 | Seasons Hospitality | 15 | 405 | ★ 4.84 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Old Lyme?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,349 |
| 2 bed | 878 |
| 3 bed | 965 |
| 4 bed | 532 |
| 5 bed | 333 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $352 |
| Luxury | $609 |
| Professionally Managed | $362 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,234 |
| Entire Place | $5,243 |
| House | $5,389 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 49.3% |
| vrbo | 9.2% |
| both | 41.6% |
Investment Analysis
The Old Lyme area’s all-listings ADR of $323.08 sits well below the tier_luxury ADR of $609.17, an 88.5% premium for top-end properties, nearly double the market average, while the professionally managed tier ($361.95) runs about 12.0% above the market average. Revenue is up 6.2% year over year, driven mainly by rising occupancy rather than rate.
On the housing side, the typical home value is $690,556, with a median list price of $744,650 across 36 homes for sale, one of the thinner for-sale inventories in this project. Multiplying the average monthly revenue of $4,838 by 12 gives roughly $58,061 in annual gross revenue per listing, a gross yield of about 8.4% against the typical home value, before cleaning, management, taxes, and financing costs.
Regulation here has an unusual structure worth understanding: Old Lyme has no standalone short-term rental ordinance. Instead, STRs are regulated through existing zoning as either a Bed and Breakfast (up to 4 rooms) or an Inn (more than 4 rooms, capped around 40), each requiring a zoning or special permit and Ledge Light Health District approval for septic and well systems. A typical whole-house vacation rental without an on-site host does not map cleanly onto either category, so buyers should confirm with the Old Lyme Land Use and Zoning office how a specific property would be classified, especially since the town completed a major zoning-regulation rewrite effective April 1, 2026.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
Run a Free Address Analysis
Skip the market averages. Get revenue projections, comp analysis, and ROI for your specific property address. Free, instant, no signup required.
Analyze My Property →Home Value Trends (Old Lyme)
Booking Insights
Guests booking in the Old Lyme area book an average of 70.7 days, about ten weeks, ahead of their stay, one of the longer lead times in this project, and the average length of stay is 3.91 nights.
That roughly ten-week booking window fits a New England shoreline market where visitors plan summer beach weeks and art-and-heritage trips well in advance. The 3.91-night average stay is fairly typical for this project, long enough for a proper long weekend without the extended stays seen in wellness or destination resort markets. For hosts and managers, the ten-week runway gives ample time to adjust pricing ahead of the July and August peak, while the moderate average stay supports standard weekend and long-weekend minimum-stay policies without much risk to occupancy. Given Connecticut’s flat statewide 15% occupancy tax, pricing strategy here is mostly a demand question rather than a shifting local tax burden.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Old Lyme, Connecticut does not have a dedicated short-term rental ordinance. Instead, STRs are permitted but regulated through the town’s existing zoning framework, where rentals are treated under Bed and Breakfast (up to 4 rooms) or Inn (more than 4 rooms, capped around 40) use categories.
To operate legally, a property owner must obtain a zoning permit or special permit from the Town of Old Lyme; applications require a floor plan showing the main structure, the rental unit, egress, and parking, plus approval from the Ledge Light Health District covering septic and well water. Permits must be renewed annually with updated inspections.
Connecticut applies a statewide 15.0% room occupancy tax to short-term rentals for the first 30 consecutive days of a stay; Airbnb and other platforms collect and remit this tax to the state, and there is no separate local occupancy tax.
Enforcement has historically been complaint-driven, with noise and parking complaints prompting a 2020 review; penalties can include denial of renewal, revocation of an existing permit, or a cease-and-desist order. Investors should confirm current requirements directly with the Old Lyme Land Use and Zoning office, since the town completed a major zoning-regulation rewrite effective April 1, 2026, and STR treatment remains folded into general zoning rather than a standalone ordinance.
Market Comparison
The Old Lyme area’s 59.2% occupancy runs above the national short-term rental median of roughly 55%, about 4.2 percentage points higher, while its $323.08 ADR is roughly 46.9% above a national median ADR of about $220. This above-average occupancy and rate combination reflects a well-established New England shoreline market with genuine summer pricing power.
Property manager data for this market area is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Old Lyme, so no property manager breakdown is presented here. Buyers researching management options should verify any specific operator’s actual coverage of the Connecticut shoreline directly. Old Lyme’s own housing and regulatory profile, covered elsewhere in this report, remain reliable at the town level regardless of this limitation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Old Lyme, Connecticut
What is the average Airbnb occupancy rate in Old Lyme, CT?
What is the average nightly rate for a vacation rental in Old Lyme, CT?
Does Old Lyme have a specific short-term rental permit?
How much revenue does the average Old Lyme area short-term rental generate per month?
When is peak season for vacation rentals in Old Lyme?
What lodging tax applies to short-term rentals in Old Lyme?
Is Old Lyme's zoning changing for short-term rentals?
Analyze Old Lyme Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Old Lyme.
Free Old Lyme STR Calculator →
