Connecticut landlord and tenant rules

Seayora publishes 15 Connecticut rules, covering security deposits, notice periods, late fees, evictions, fair housing, tenant protections, contractor sales tax. Every one is composed from the statute it cites and links to that statute on the state’s own code site.

Connecticut at a glance

RuleConnecticut
Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Connecticut?Interest at the Banking Commissioner's published rate, paid annually.
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Connecticut?21 days
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Connecticut?2 months of rent
How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Connecticut?3 days (notice to vacate)
How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Connecticut?30 days
How much can a landlord charge for a late rent fee in Connecticut?Lesser of $5 a day (up to $50) or 5% of the late rent
Is there a grace period for paying rent in Connecticut?9 days
Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Connecticut?A lockout or utility shut-off entitles the tenant to injunctive relief and double damages.
How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Connecticut?The tenant has two days from the return date to appear, then five days to plead.
What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Connecticut?Wait out the 9-day grace period
Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Connecticut?Protected: a landlord may not refuse one
Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Connecticut?Barred for 6 months
Do contractors charge sales tax in Connecticut?Consumer of materials
Is appliance repair taxable in Connecticut?Taxable, with the parts
Is contractor labor taxable in Connecticut?Taxable — commercial only

Security deposits in Connecticut

Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in Connecticut?

Yes. Connecticut requires a landlord to pay the tenant interest on a security deposit. Interest at the Banking Commissioner's published rate, paid annually. The deposit itself must be returned within 21 days of the end of the tenancy. This is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Connecticut?

In Connecticut, a landlord has 21 days after the tenancy ends to return the security deposit, together with an itemised statement of any deductions. 21 days from termination or 15 days from receiving a forwarding address, whichever is later. Connecticut also requires interest to be paid on the deposit: Interest at the Banking Commissioner's published rate, paid annually. This is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Connecticut?

In Connecticut, a security deposit is capped at 2 months of rent. Two months' rent; one month when the tenant is 62 or older. This is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Notice periods in Connecticut

How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in Connecticut?

In Connecticut, a landlord must give 3 days written notice to vacate before filing a nonpayment eviction. It is a notice to leave rather than a demand to pay. This is Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-16, 47a-23, 47a-15a.

No statute sets a rent-increase notice period outside fair-rent-commission towns — 30 days is customary. Entry: the statute requires reasonable notice rather than a fixed period. Late rent: 9-day grace, then a 3-day notice to quit.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in Connecticut?

In Connecticut, a landlord must give 30 days written notice to end a tenancy or decline to renew it. This is Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-16, 47a-23, 47a-15a.

No statute sets a rent-increase notice period outside fair-rent-commission towns — 30 days is customary. Entry: the statute requires reasonable notice rather than a fixed period. Late rent: 9-day grace, then a 3-day notice to quit.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Late fees in Connecticut

How much can a landlord charge for a late rent fee in Connecticut?

In Connecticut, a late charge may not exceed the lesser of $5 a day up to a maximum of $50, or 5% of the delinquent rent payment — 5% of the tenant’s own share where a government or charitable entity pays part of the rent. No late charge may be assessed on rent paid within nine days of the due date (four days for a week-to-week tenancy). Only one late charge may be assessed on a delinquent payment however long it stays unpaid, and only under a valid written agreement to pay one. This is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a.

Only one late charge may be assessed on a delinquent payment however long it stays unpaid, and only under a valid written agreement to pay one.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is there a grace period for paying rent in Connecticut?

Yes. In Connecticut, no late charge may be assessed on rent paid within nine days of the due date (four days for a week-to-week tenancy). The late fee itself is limited too: a late charge may not exceed the lesser of $5 a day up to a maximum of $50, or 5% of the delinquent rent payment — 5% of the tenant’s own share where a government or charitable entity pays part of the rent. Only one late charge may be assessed on a delinquent payment however long it stays unpaid, and only under a valid written agreement to pay one. This is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a.

Only one late charge may be assessed on a delinquent payment however long it stays unpaid, and only under a valid written agreement to pay one.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Evictions in Connecticut

Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Connecticut?

No. A lockout or utility shut-off entitles the tenant to injunctive relief and double damages. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-43, 47a-46. In Connecticut a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set by Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-15a, 47a-23, 47a-23a, 47a-26, 47a-35, 47a-43.

Connecticut gives a nine-day grace period before rent is legally late, and requires mediation in some judicial districts. A stay of execution of up to six months is available to a tenant who applies.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

How long does a tenant have to respond to an eviction case in Connecticut?

In Connecticut, the time a tenant has to respond to an eviction case is governed by Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-15a, 47a-23, 47a-23a, 47a-26, 47a-35, 47a-43. The tenant has two days from the return date to appear, then five days to plead.

Connecticut gives a nine-day grace period before rent is legally late, and requires mediation in some judicial districts. A stay of execution of up to six months is available to a tenant who applies.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in Connecticut?

In Connecticut, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 6 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Wait out the 9-day grace period — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a; (2) Serve a 3-day notice to quit through a state marshal — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23; (3) Serve and return a summary process summons and complaint — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23a; (4) Two days to appear, then five days to plead — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-26; (5) Stay of execution — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-35; (6) Execution served by a state marshal, 24 hours’ notice — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-42. Connecticut gives a nine-day grace period before rent is legally late, and requires mediation in some judicial districts. A stay of execution of up to six months is available to a tenant who applies. The procedure as a whole is set by Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-15a, 47a-23, 47a-23a, 47a-26, 47a-35, 47a-43.

Connecticut gives a nine-day grace period before rent is legally late, and requires mediation in some judicial districts. A stay of execution of up to six months is available to a tenant who applies.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Fair housing in Connecticut

Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Connecticut?

No, not in most cases. In Connecticut, a person may not refuse to rent a dwelling to anyone, or set different terms, because of lawful source of income, which the law defines to include housing assistance. This is Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46a-63, 46a-64c.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Tenant protections in Connecticut

Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Connecticut?

No. In Connecticut, a landlord may not bring an eviction, demand a rent increase or cut services within six months after a tenant makes a good-faith code complaint or repair request, a code agency acts on a violation, or the tenant organizes or joins a tenants’ union. A landlord may still evict for nonpayment, illegal use, a lease violation, or a good-faith need to live in the unit, among the exceptions the next section lists. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-20, 47a-20a.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Contractor sales tax in Connecticut

Do contractors charge sales tax in Connecticut?

In Connecticut a contractor is treated as the CONSUMER of the materials they build into real property. That means the contractor pays sales tax when they buy the materials, and does not add sales tax to the customer's invoice for that work — the tax is already inside the price. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §12-407(a)(37)(I) (services to industrial, commercial or income-producing real property are taxable).

The residential/commercial line is the whole rule in Connecticut: services to EXISTING industrial, commercial or income-producing real property are taxable, services to residential property generally are not. New construction is excluded from both. A rented residential building can be income-producing — confirm the property class before relying on the exemption.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is appliance repair taxable in Connecticut?

Yes. Connecticut taxes the LABOR on repairs to tangible personal property — an appliance, a boiler or a unit that never becomes part of the building — as well as the parts. This is a different question from work on the real property itself: the same technician on the same visit can be doing taxable work on an appliance and differently treated work on the structure, and the invoice has to tell them apart. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §12-407(a)(37)(I) (services to industrial, commercial or income-producing real property are taxable).

The residential/commercial line is the whole rule in Connecticut: services to EXISTING industrial, commercial or income-producing real property are taxable, services to residential property generally are not. New construction is excluded from both. A rented residential building can be income-producing — confirm the property class before relying on the exemption.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Is contractor labor taxable in Connecticut?

It depends on the property. Connecticut taxes the LABOR on repair and maintenance work to COMMERCIAL or non-residential real property, but not the same work on residential property. Repair and maintenance is not the same thing as a capital improvement, which is exempt to the customer in Connecticut — the classification of the job is what decides the tax, not the wording on the invoice. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §12-407(a)(37)(I) (services to industrial, commercial or income-producing real property are taxable).

The residential/commercial line is the whole rule in Connecticut: services to EXISTING industrial, commercial or income-producing real property are taxable, services to residential property generally are not. New construction is excluded from both. A rented residential building can be income-producing — confirm the property class before relying on the exemption.

Full answer and the checkable figures.

Sources

  • Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a
  • Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21
  • Conn. Gen. Stat. §12-407(a)(37)(I) (services to industrial, commercial or income-producing real property are taxable).
  • Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46a-63, 46a-64c
  • Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-15a, 47a-23, 47a-23a, 47a-26, 47a-35, 47a-43
  • Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-16, 47a-23, 47a-15a
  • Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-20, 47a-20a

This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

This is a summary of a state’s published guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rates and rules change, local jurisdictions add their own, and the treatment of a specific job depends on the contract and the work. Check the citation and speak to a CPA or a state tax adviser before relying on it.

How Seayora uses these rules

Security deposits. Seayora computes the deadline this rule sets from the tenancy’s own dates, shows it on the deposit statement, and reminds the landlord before it falls due — so the answer above is not reference material sitting beside the product, it is the rule the product enforces.

Notice periods. Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.

Late fees. Seayora charges only the late fee written into the lease, after the grace period the lease sets, and adds no late fee of its own. This page states the statutory ceiling and waiting period so the terms of a lease can be checked against them before it is signed.

Evictions. Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

Fair housing. This page states whether the state protects renters who pay with a housing voucher, so a listing and its screening rules can be checked against it before they are published. Seayora’s rental search assistant never filters homes by how a renter will pay the rent.

Tenant protections. When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.

Contractor sales tax. Seayora resolves this rule on every invoice a contractor raises — per line, from the job site’s own address — and prints the rate, the jurisdiction and this citation on the document itself, so the estimate a customer accepts is the invoice they are billed. Where the rule is more nuanced than a single answer, Seayora refuses to guess a total rather than quoting a confident wrong one.

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