Connecticut landlord tenant law: the rules a landlord meets

Connecticut security deposit law

Most you can take

2 months’ rentConn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(b)1 month for tenants aged 62 or older.

Back to the tenant within

21 daysConn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)Or 15 days after receiving the tenant's written forwarding address, whichever is later.

Rent and late fees

Late fee

5% or $50, as the statute words itConn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15aLesser of $5 per day up to $50, or 5% of the delinquent rent; one late charge per late payment.

Grace period before a fee

9 daysConn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a

Connecticut rent increase laws and rent control

Notice before a rent increase

45 daysConn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-4e, 7-148bWritten notice at least 45 days before the increase takes effect, or one full term for a lease of one month or less, and never during a lease term. Every town of 25,000 or more must have a fair rent commission that can order excessive rent reduced.

Rent control

Local rent control allowedConn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-4e, 7-148b

Entering the property: notice to the tenant

Notice before you enter

Reasonable noticeConn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-16(c)

Ending a tenancy and eviction notices

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

3 daysConn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-23, 47a-23cA month-to-month tenancy ends by lapse of time at the end of a month, and the landlord must serve a notice to quit at least 3 days before the date to vacate. Tenants aged 62+ or with a disability in buildings of 5+ units need just cause.

Unpaid rent

3 daysConn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-15a(a), 47a-23(a)“notice to quit possession”No statutory right to pay and stayThe notice may be served only after rent is unpaid for the 9-day grace period (4 days for a one-week tenancy), and must give at least three full days, counting neither the day of service nor the quit date. No statute lets the tenant stop the eviction by paying after the notice.

Another breach of the lease

15 daysConn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-15, 47a-23(a)“notice to cure (kick-out notice), then notice to quit”The tenant can fix the breach within the periodThe lease ends at least 15 days after receipt unless a breach remediable by repair or payment of damages is remedied in that time; a repeat within six months, or a serious nuisance, goes straight to a 3-day notice to quit.

Lockouts and shutoffs

Banned: lockouts and utility shutoffsConn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-43, 47a-46

The Connecticut eviction process, step by step

Disclosures a Connecticut lease has to carry

• From April 1, 2026, every written lease must have a completed Department of Housing standardized rental terms summary form as its first page. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7d(d))
• Notify the tenant in writing, at or before the start of the tenancy, of the name and address of the property manager and of the person authorized to receive notices and service of process. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-6)
• Where the building must have fire sprinklers, the lease must state in 12-point bold type whether an operative sprinkler system exists and, if so, its last maintenance and inspection date. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-3f)
• Before move-in, offer the tenant a walk-through using the Department of Housing checklist. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7c)
• Within 30 days of receiving a deposit, tell the tenant in writing the amount held and the name and address of the bank holding it. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21)