Connecticut Landlord-Tenant Law
Connecticut Law about Landlord-Tenant Law
| Termination for Nonpayment Notice (Eviction Notice) | 9-Day Notice or as Written in the Lease The rent must be 9 Days late before a notice can be delivered. |
| Termination for Lease Violation Notice | 15-Day Notice |
| Small Claim Court Limit | Connecticut Small Claim Court Limit is $5,000 |
| Handling Abandoned Property | Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 47a-11b |
| Penalty for Self-Help Eviction | Double the actual damage and a possible misdemeanor charge for the landlord. |
| Tenant Withholding Rent for Repairs | Conn.Gen.Stat. Ann. 47a-14a |
| Required Disclosures | Common Interest Community; Owner or Agent Identity; Summary of Landlord-Tenant Code |
| Non-Refundable Fees | |
| Security Deposit Rules | Security Deposit Amount: up to 2 months (for tenants under 62 years of age); up to 1 month (for tenants 62 years of age and older); 30 Days or within 15 days of receiving tenants’ forwarding address (whichever is later) |
| Month-to-Month Notice | Tenant No Notice; Landlord 3 Days |
| Payment of Rent | A grace period of 9 Days |
| Property Entry Notice | Reasonable Notice |
Security Deposit
Sec. 47a-21. Security deposits. (a) Definitions. As used in this chapter:
(b) Amount of security deposit. (1) In the case of a tenant under sixty-two years of age, a landlord shall not demand a security deposit in an amount that exceeds two months’ rent.
(2) In the case of a tenant sixty-two years of age or older, a landlord shall not demand a security deposit in an amount that exceeds one month’s rent. Any landlord who has received a security deposit in an amount that exceeds one month’s rent from a tenant who becomes sixty-two years of age after paying such security deposit shall return the portion of such security deposit that exceeds one month’s rent to the tenant upon the tenant’s request.
(c) Exemption from attachment and execution. Assignment to successor. Any security deposit paid by a tenant shall remain the property of such tenant in which the landlord shall have a security interest, as defined in subdivision (35) of subsection (b) of section 42a-1-201, to secure such tenant’s obligations. A security deposit shall be exempt from attachment and execution by the creditors of the landlord and shall not be considered part of the estate of the landlord in any legal proceeding. Any voluntary or involuntary transfer of a landlord’s interest in residential real property to a successor shall constitute an assignment to such successor of such landlord’s security interest in all security deposits paid by tenants of such transferred residential real property.
(d) Payment of security deposit and interest at termination of tenancy. (1) Not later than the time specified in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the person who is the landlord at the time a tenancy is terminated, other than a rent receiver, shall pay to the tenant or former tenant: (A) The amount of any security deposit that was deposited by the tenant with the person who was landlord at the time such security deposit was deposited less the value of any damages that any person who was a landlord of such premises at any time during the tenancy of such tenant has suffered as a result of such tenant’s failure to comply with such tenant’s obligations; and (B) any accrued interest. If the landlord at the time of termination of a tenancy is a rent receiver, such rent receiver shall return security deposits in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (3) of this subsection.
(2) Upon termination of a tenancy, any tenant may notify the landlord in writing of such tenant’s forwarding address. Not later than thirty days after termination of a tenancy or fifteen days after receiving written notification of such tenant’s forwarding address, whichever is later, each landlord other than a rent receiver shall deliver to the tenant or former tenant at such forwarding address either (A) the full amount of the security deposit paid by such tenant plus accrued interest, or (B) the balance of such security deposit and accrued interest after deduction for any damages suffered by such landlord by reason of such tenant’s failure to comply with such tenant’s obligations, together with a written statement itemizing the nature and amount of such damages. Any landlord who violates any provision of this subsection shall be liable for twice the amount of any security deposit paid by such tenant, except that, if the only violation is the failure to deliver the accrued interest, such landlord shall be liable for ten dollars or twice the amount of the accrued interest, whichever is greater.
Handling Abandoned Property
Sec. 47a-11b. Abandonment of unit by occupants. Landlord’s remedies. (a) For the purposes of this section, “abandonment” means the occupants have vacated the premises without notice to the landlord and do not intend to return, which intention may be evidenced by the removal by the occupants or their agent of substantially all of their possessions and personal effects from the premises and either (1) nonpayment of rent for more than two months or (2) an express statement by the occupants that they do not intend to occupy the premises after a specified date.
(b) If all the occupants abandon the dwelling unit, the landlord may send notice to each occupant at his last-known address both by regular mail, postage prepaid, and by certified mail, return receipt requested, stating that (1) he has reason to believe that the occupant has abandoned the dwelling unit, (2) he intends to reenter and take possession of the dwelling unit unless the occupant contacts him within ten days of receipt of the notice, (3) if the occupant does not contact him, he intends to remove any possessions and personal effects remaining in the premises and to rerent the premises, and (4) if the occupant does not reclaim such possessions and personal effects within thirty days after the notice, they will be disposed of as permitted by this section. The notice shall be in clear and simple language and shall include a telephone number and a mailing address at which the landlord can be contacted. If the notices are returned as undeliverable, or the occupant fails to contact the landlord within ten days of the receipt of the notice, the landlord may reenter and take possession of the dwelling unit, at which time any rental agreement or lease still in effect shall be deemed to be terminated.
(c) The landlord shall not be required to serve a notice to quit as provided in section 47a-23 and bring a summary process action as provided in section 47a-23a to obtain possession or occupancy of a dwelling unit which has been abandoned. Nothing in this section shall relieve a landlord from complying with the provisions of sections 47a-1 to 47a-20a, inclusive, and sections 47a-23 to 47a-42, inclusive, if the landlord knows, or reasonably should know, that the occupant has not abandoned the dwelling unit.
(d) The landlord shall inventory any possessions and personal effects of the occupant in the premises and shall remove and keep them for not less than thirty days. The occupant may reclaim such possessions and personal effects from the landlord within said thirty-day period. If the occupant does not reclaim such possessions and personal effects by the end of said thirty-day period, the landlord may dispose of them as he deems appropriate.
(e) No action shall be brought under section 47a-43 against a landlord who takes action in compliance with the provisions of this section.
Tenant Withholding Rent for Repairs
Sec. 47a-13. Failure of landlord to supply essential services. Tenant’s remedies. (a) If the landlord is required to supply heat, running water, hot water, electricity, gas or other essential service, and if the landlord fails to supply such essential service and the failure is not caused by conditions beyond the landlord’s control, the tenant may give notice to the landlord specifying the breach and may elect to (1) procure reasonable amounts of heat, hot water, running water, electric, gas or other essential service during the period of the landlord’s noncompliance and deduct the actual and reasonable cost of such service from the rent; or (2) procure reasonable substitute housing during the period of the landlord’s noncompliance if the landlord fails to supply such service within forty-eight hours of such breach, except if the breach is the failure to provide the same service and such breach recurs within six months, the tenant may secure substitute housing immediately; or (3) if the failure to supply such service is wilful, the tenant may terminate the rental agreement and recover an amount not more than two months’ periodic rent or double the actual damages sustained by him, whichever is greater. If the rental agreement is terminated, the landlord shall return all security and prepaid rent and interest required pursuant to section 47a-22, recoverable under section 47a-21.
(b) If the tenant elects to procure substitute housing as provided in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, rent otherwise owed to the landlord shall abate for the period of the landlord’s noncompliance. In addition, the tenant may recover the actual costs of such substitute housing, but in no event shall the tenant recover more than an amount equal to the amount of rent abated under this subsection. In any cause of action or defense to any action arising under subsection (a) of this section, the tenant may recover reasonable attorney’s fees.
(c) Rights of the tenant under this section do not arise (1) until the tenant has given reasonable written or oral notice to the landlord or (2) if the condition was caused by the wilful or negligent act or omission of the tenant, a member of his family or other person on the premises with his consent.
(d) For the purposes of this section, “tenant” includes each resident of a mobile manufactured home park, as defined in section 21-64, including a resident who owns his own home, and “landlord” includes a “licensee” and an “owner” of a mobile manufactured home park, as defined in section 21-64.
