Renter rights by state

Connecticut renter rights: the basics for first-time renters

Last reviewed: October 2026 · First Apartment Kit

Connecticut's landlord-tenant rules are in Title 47a of the General Statutes, and the state Judicial Branch publishes a plain-language guide for renters. Here's what first-time renters need to know.

Quick facts

Quick facts are simplified. Read the sections below for exceptions, and check your city or county too.

Security deposits

• Cap: two months' rent, or one month's rent if you are 62 or older.
• Interest: the landlord must hold your deposit in an escrow account and pay interest at a rate set yearly by the Banking Commissioner.
• Return: within 21 days after the tenancy ends, or 15 days after you send your forwarding address in writing (whichever is later), the landlord must return the deposit plus interest, or send an itemized list of damages with the balance.
• Penalty: a landlord who doesn't comply can owe twice the deposit.

Rent increases and late fees

Connecticut has no statewide limit on rent increases. A tenant who thinks an increase is unfair, is being charged for utilities that used to be included, or is paying full rent for a unit with illegal conditions can go to a town fair rent commission; a 2022 law requires larger towns to have one. Late fees can be charged only if your written lease allows them and only after the 9-day grace period. They are capped at the lesser of $5 a day (maximum $50) or 5% of the late payment.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

Many Connecticut rentals are month-to-month: the lease continues until the landlord or tenant ends it. Give written notice and keep a copy, and check your lease for its notice period. A landlord who wants you out still has to go through court with a notice to quit, as described below.

When the landlord can come in

You can't unreasonably refuse entry for inspections, repairs, or showings. Except in an emergency, the landlord must give reasonable written or oral notice, enter only at reasonable times, and can't use entry to harass you.

Repairs and living conditions

Landlords must follow housing codes and keep the home fit and habitable: common areas clean and safe; heat, plumbing, electrical, and appliances they supply in working order. If repairs aren't made:

• Put your request in writing and call your town's housing code or health inspector.
• You can bring a case in the Superior Court Housing Session asking the court to order repairs, and the court can let you pay rent into court while the case goes on.
• Don't just stop paying rent — that can lead to eviction.

Eviction basics

A landlord must go through the court process (called "summary process"). It starts with a notice to quit giving at least three days. For unpaid rent, the notice can only come after the 9-day grace period. If you're still there after the notice date, a state marshal serves a summons and complaint, and you should file an appearance by the deadline. A landlord can't lock you out or remove your things without a court case and judgment. If that happens, contact the court's Housing Session or legal aid right away.

Retaliation and discrimination

For six months after you take protected action, a landlord can't retaliate by raising rent, cutting services, or starting an eviction because you complained to a code agency, asked for repairs, joined a tenant union, or used your legal rights. Housing discrimination is illegal under federal and Connecticut law. Connecticut's protected classes include lawful source of income (such as housing vouchers). File complaints with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.

City and county rules

Towns set their own housing codes and may have fair rent commissions, so check with your town hall.

Move-in checklist for Connecticut renters

• ☐ Get a written lease and read all of it before signing
• ☐ Get a receipt for the deposit and any move-in money
• ☐ Photograph every room, dated, before you unpack
• ☐ Fill out (or write your own) move-in condition list and keep a copy
• ☐ Note the rent due date, grace period, and late fee
• ☐ Write down how to request repairs, and do it in writing
• ☐ Save the landlord's legal name and address for notices
• ☐ Put your notice deadline for moving out in your calendar

Still apartment hunting? Our list of questions to ask a landlord before signing a lease covers deposits, fees, repairs, and move-out rules you will want answered in writing.

Where to get help in Connecticut

• Connecticut Judicial Branch — Housing Matters — housing court information and forms.
• Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) — housing discrimination complaints.
• Connecticut Department of Housing — state housing programs and rental assistance.
• Find free legal aid near you — the federal Legal Services Corporation's directory of local legal aid offices.
• File a housing discrimination complaint with HUD — the federal fair housing agency.

Official sources

These are the official state law and government pages we checked for every fact on this page. The law itself controls if anything here differs.

• Connecticut Judicial Branch, Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants in Connecticut (JDP-HM-31, rev. 1/26)
• Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 831, § 47a-21 (security deposits)
• Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 830, §§ 47a-7 (landlord duties), 47a-14h (payment of rent into court), 47a-15a (grace period and late charges), 47a-16 (entry), 47a-20 (retaliation)
• Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 832, § 47a-23 (notice to quit)

Not legal advice; laws change and cities may add rules. Check the official sources below or a local legal aid office. This page is a plain-language summary written by First Apartment Kit, not the law itself. Last reviewed: October 2026.

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