Connecticut extends as-of-right accessory units to special-act towns and limits water company hookup charges
From October 1, 2026, towns that zone under special acts must allow one accessory dwelling unit as of right, and investor-owned water companies face the connection-fee limits already applied to towns and authorities.
Homeowners and small builders in the Connecticut towns that zone under their own special acts can now add a backyard cottage or in-law apartment without a discretionary hearing, and private water companies can no longer treat one as a new customer for connection charges unless it is built with a new house. Conn. Pub. Act No. 26-7 (2026), An Act Concerning Utility Connections for Accessory Dwelling Units (Substitute House Bill 5288), signed by the Governor on May 7, 2026, took effect on October 1, 2026; it extends the as-of-right accessory dwelling unit (“ADU”) rules of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-2o to municipalities that zone under a special act and extends the statute's limits on utility connection charges to investor-owned water companies.
Conn. Pub. Act No. 26-7 (2026); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-2o; Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-30g(k)