10 of the 10 rules below carry a statute citation that was read at the official source (most recently October 2026), with the controlling text quoted. The rest are conservative reference values from Aptoria's compliance data and are labeled unverified.
Security deposit size: Two months' rent for tenants under 62; one month's rent for tenants 62 or older (a tenant who turns 62 after paying may demand refund of the excess over one month). (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(b), confirmed 2026-10). Returning the deposit: Not later than 21 days after termination of the tenancy OR 15 days after receiving the tenant's written forwarding address, whichever is later: return the full deposit plus accrued interest, or the balance with a written itemized statement of damages. Violation = liability for twice the deposit (if only interest is missed: $10 or twice the interest, whichever is greater). (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)(2), confirmed 2026-10).
How Connecticut treats the landlord's core obligations
Late fees: Mandatory grace period: 9 days after the due date (4 days for week-to-week tenancies). A late charge requires a written agreement, may be assessed only once per delinquent payment, and may not exceed the lesser of $5 per day up to $50, or 5% of the delinquent rent (5% of the tenant's share where a government/charitable entity pays part of the rent). (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a, confirmed 2026-10). Application fees: Application fees are prohibited: no payment, fee or charge for processing, review or acceptance of a rental application, and no move-in/move-out fees. Only exception: a tenant screening report fee not exceeding $50 (adjusted annually for CPI by the Commissioner of Housing, from Oct 1, 2023), with a copy of the report/receipt provided to the applicant. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4d, confirmed 2026-10).
Nonpayment notice: Notice to quit must give at least 3 days before the termination date; for residential nonpayment it may be served only after the 9-day statutory grace period of § 47a-15a has run (i.e., not before the 10th day after rent was due, per the Judicial Branch landlord guide). Connecticut uses a notice to quit, not a pay-or-quit; payment within the notice period does not automatically cure. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(a), confirmed 2026-10). Rent increases: Written notice not less than 45 days before the increase takes effect (for leases of one month or less, the notice period equals the length of a full term). Tenant silence is not agreement. Applies to agreements entered, renewed or extended on/after Oct 1, 2024. No statewide rent cap; protected (elderly/disabled) tenants in buildings of 5+ units may contest increases that are not 'fair and equitable' under § 47a-23c. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4e, confirmed 2026-10). Ending a month-to-month tenancy: No separate statutory notice period for ending a month-to-month tenancy: the landlord terminates by lapse of time using a notice to quit that gives at least 3 days before the termination date (and, per the Judicial Branch guide, at least until the end of the rental period). A 30-day engine floor is conservative, not statutory. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(a), confirmed 2026-10). Entry: No fixed hour count: landlord must give reasonable written or oral notice of intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times, except in an emergency; the right of entry may not be abused or used to harass. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-16(c), confirmed 2026-10).
Connecticut has no statewide rent regulation on file, so any cap on increases would come from a local ordinance. Source-of-income protection is on file statewide, so voucher and benefit income must be treated like any other lawful income in screening and advertising. Card surcharges on rent: card surcharges banned (CT Gen Stat §42-133ff outright ban.). Managing property for others for compensation generally requires a state license: State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Security deposits
What Connecticut allows a landlord to collect up front, how it must be held, and the deadline and paperwork for returning it.
Security deposit limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Two months' rent for tenants under 62; one month's rent for tenants 62 or older (a tenant who turns 62 after paying may demand refund of the excess over one month).
“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. 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.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “2× monthly rent”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The maximum a landlord may collect up front as security against unpaid rent or damage, usually expressed as a multiple of one month's rent. Separate pet, key or cleaning deposits often count toward the same limit.
Deposit return deadline
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Not later than 21 days after termination of the tenancy OR 15 days after receiving the tenant's written forwarding address, whichever is later: return the full deposit plus accrued interest, or the balance with a written itemized statement of damages. Violation = liability for twice the deposit (if only interest is missed: $10 or twice the interest, whichever is greater).
“Not later than twenty-one days after termination of a tenancy or fifteen days after receiving written notification of such tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later ... Any landlord who violates any provision of this subsection shall be liable for twice the amount of any security deposit”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days after move-out”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The window after the tenant vacates in which the landlord must refund the deposit or deliver an itemized statement of deductions. Missing the deadline is the most common way a landlord forfeits the right to keep any part of the deposit.
Separate pet deposit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No separate statutory pet-deposit authorization or prohibition. The security-deposit statute (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21) does not mention pets or animals; 'security deposit' means any advance rental payment except first month's rent or a key/special-equipment deposit, so any pet deposit counts toward the general cap (two months' rent; one month for tenants 62+).
“"Security deposit" means any advance rental payment, or any installment payment collected pursuant to section 47a-22a, except an advance payment for the first month's rent or a deposit for a key or any special equipment.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Chapter 831 text searched for 'pet' and 'animal'; no match other than inside 'competent'. Absence-of-rule finding.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “Permitted”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a refundable pet deposit can be collected on top of the security deposit. Even where it is permitted, the combined amount usually has to stay inside the overall deposit limit.
In practice
• Hold the deposit the way the statute requires (separate or escrow account where applicable) and record the account in the file.
• Document move-in condition with a dated, photographed inventory the tenant can sign; it is the only evidence that supports a later deduction.
• Send the itemized statement and any refund by a trackable method, and keep the receipts or estimates behind every deduction.
Rent, late fees and application fees
The fees a Connecticut lease can charge, the statutory ceilings that override the lease, and whether rent increases are regulated statewide.
Late fees
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Mandatory grace period: 9 days after the due date (4 days for week-to-week tenancies). A late charge requires a written agreement, may be assessed only once per delinquent payment, and may not exceed the lesser of $5 per day up to $50, or 5% of the delinquent rent (5% of the tenant's share where a government/charitable entity pays part of the rent).
“If rent is unpaid when due and the tenant fails to pay rent within nine days thereafter ... Such late charge may not exceed the lesser of (1) five dollars per day, up to a maximum of fifty dollars, or (2) five per cent of the delinquent rent payment.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide cap (reasonableness standard); 9 days grace”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Any statutory ceiling on the fee for late rent and any mandatory grace period before it can be charged. Where there is no statutory cap, courts still strike fees they find punitive rather than a reasonable estimate of the landlord's cost.
Application fee limit
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Application fees are prohibited: no payment, fee or charge for processing, review or acceptance of a rental application, and no move-in/move-out fees. Only exception: a tenant screening report fee not exceeding $50 (adjusted annually for CPI by the Commissioner of Housing, from Oct 1, 2023), with a copy of the report/receipt provided to the applicant.
“No landlord may demand from a prospective tenant any payment, fee or charge for the processing, review or acceptance of any rental application ... No landlord may charge a tenant a move-in or move-out fee ... not exceeding fifty dollars”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “$50”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
A cap on what an applicant can be charged to apply, sometimes limited to the actual cost of screening and sometimes prohibited outright. Fee receipts and refund rules usually travel with the cap.
Statewide rent regulation
Source-confirmed 2026-10
(c) State-authorized local regulation, no statewide cap. Connecticut has no statewide rent-increase cap and no preemption statute; instead Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-148b authorizes any municipality, and requires every municipality of 25,000+ population, to create a fair rent commission that can hear complaints and order reductions of 'harsh and unconscionable' rents (§ 7-148c). Increases are not capped by formula.
“Any town, city or borough may, and any town, city or borough with a population of twenty-five thousand or more, as determined by the most recent decennial census, shall, through its legislative body, adopt an ordinance that creates a fair rent commission.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
§ 7-148c: 'In determining whether a rental charge or a proposed increase in a rental charge is so excessive, with due regard to all the circumstances, as to be harsh and unconscionable, a fair rent commission shall consider' enumerated factors. No published annual cap figure.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “No statewide rent regulation (check local ordinances)”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
Whether a statewide law caps annual rent increases or whether rent control exists for covered units. Local ordinances can add limits even where the state has none.
In practice
• State the late fee, the grace period and the application fee in the lease in dollars or a clear percentage; a fee that is not in the lease is rarely enforceable.
• Never charge above the statutory cap even when the lease says more; the excess is unenforceable and can expose the landlord to penalties.
• Keep fee calculations in the ledger so a tenant, a court or an auditor can reproduce them from the rent roll.
Notices, rent increases and termination
How much written notice Connecticut requires before a rent increase, before ending a month-to-month tenancy, and before filing for nonpayment.
Rent-increase notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Written notice not less than 45 days before the increase takes effect (for leases of one month or less, the notice period equals the length of a full term). Tenant silence is not agreement. Applies to agreements entered, renewed or extended on/after Oct 1, 2024. No statewide rent cap; protected (elderly/disabled) tenants in buildings of 5+ units may contest increases that are not 'fair and equitable' under § 47a-23c.
“No rent increase for a dwelling unit shall be effective unless the landlord has given the tenant written notice of the proposed increase not less than forty-five days before the day”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The written notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect on a periodic (month-to-month) tenancy. Fixed-term leases generally cannot be changed mid-term.
Month-to-month termination notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No separate statutory notice period for ending a month-to-month tenancy: the landlord terminates by lapse of time using a notice to quit that gives at least 3 days before the termination date (and, per the Judicial Branch guide, at least until the end of the rental period). A 30-day engine floor is conservative, not statutory.
“at least three days before the termination of the rental agreement or lease, if any, or before the time specified in the notice”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Protected tenants (§ 47a-23c) in 5+ unit buildings cannot be evicted by lapse of time without good cause.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “30 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a landlord must give to end a periodic tenancy without cause. Some jurisdictions require longer notice for long-term tenants or require a stated cause.
Pay-or-quit notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
Notice to quit must give at least 3 days before the termination date; for residential nonpayment it may be served only after the 9-day statutory grace period of § 47a-15a has run (i.e., not before the 10th day after rent was due, per the Judicial Branch landlord guide). Connecticut uses a notice to quit, not a pay-or-quit; payment within the notice period does not automatically cure.
“at least three days before the termination of the rental agreement or lease, if any ... nonpayment of rent within the grace period provided for residential property in section 47a-15a”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Judicial Branch guide (hm014.pdf): in month-to-month nonpayment cases the Notice to Quit cannot be served until the tenth day after the rent due date.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “3 days”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The notice a tenant must receive for nonpayment before the landlord can file for possession, and the time the tenant has to pay in full and cure. This is the step most often done wrong in an eviction.
In practice
• Serve notices in the form and by the method the statute names, and keep proof of service with the dated notice.
• Count notice periods the way the statute counts them (calendar days, business days, or "before the next rent due date") and build in a margin.
• Treat a notice to a possibly rent-regulated or subsidized unit as a legal check, because longer periods and extra content requirements usually apply.
Landlord entry
When a Connecticut landlord may enter an occupied unit and how much notice the tenant must receive.
Non-emergency entry notice
Source-confirmed 2026-10
No fixed hour count: landlord must give reasonable written or oral notice of intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times, except in an emergency; the right of entry may not be abused or used to harass.
“The landlord shall give the tenant reasonable written or oral notice of his intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times, except in case of emergency.”
Excerpt from the cited source as read on the date shown.
Reference value in Aptoria's compliance data: “24 hours”. Where it differs from the statute above, the statute controls; differences found in review are logged for an engine update.
The advance notice required before a landlord enters an occupied unit for repairs, inspections or showings. Emergencies are the usual exception.
In practice
• Give written notice with the date, a reasonable time window and the purpose, and log the entry afterwards.
• Emergencies are the only common exception; document what made the entry urgent.
• A pattern of unannounced entries is a common basis for tenant complaints and counterclaims.
Payments, fair housing and licensing
Operational rules that sit outside the landlord-tenant act but decide how rent can be collected, who can be screened out, and who may manage for others.
Card surcharges on rent
Card surcharges banned
CT Gen Stat §42-133ff outright ban.
Returned-payment (NSF) fee
No statewide statutory cap on file
Source-of-income protection
Protected statewide
Local ordinances can extend protection beyond the statewide rule.
Property-management licensing
License generally required to manage for others
State real estate broker license required for property management for others — confirm with state commission.
Compliance posture values are reference data compiled from public statutes and are not source-confirmed line by line. Confirm with the state agency before relying on them.
Connecticut next to its neighbors
Own units on both sides of a state line? These are the reference values for every bordering jurisdiction. Open a state to see which values carry a citation.
No statewide cap (reasonableness standard); 9 days grace
No statewide cap (reasonableness standard); 30 days grace
Capped at 5% of monthly rent or $50; 5 days grace
No statewide cap (reasonableness standard); 15 days grace
Rent-increase notice
30 days
30 days
90 days
30 days
Non-emergency entry notice
24 hours
Reasonable notice
24 hours
48 hours
Pay-or-quit notice
3 days
14 days
14 days
5 days
Source-of-income protection
Protected statewide
Protected statewide
Protected statewide
Protected statewide
Card surcharges on rent
Card surcharges banned
Card surcharges banned
Allowed only with inclusive total pricing
Allowed within card-network limits
Lease disclosures on file
Federal and state disclosures Aptoria's lease workflow surfaces for Connecticut. This is a working checklist from public sources, not a complete legal inventory for a specific property.
• Lead-based paint hazards (pre-1978 housing) — EPA Pamphlet "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home"
• Common interest community (if applicable)
Official sources
Primary sources a Connecticut landlord should bookmark. Each link was fetched and read during the October 2026 review; the binding text is always the current official version.
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Connecticut?
Two months' rent for tenants under 62; one month's rent for tenants 62 or older (a tenant who turns 62 after paying may demand refund of the excess over one month). (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(b), confirmed 2026-10).
How long does a Connecticut landlord have to return the security deposit?
Not later than 21 days after termination of the tenancy OR 15 days after receiving the tenant's written forwarding address, whichever is later: return the full deposit plus accrued interest, or the balance with a written itemized statement of damages. Violation = liability for twice the deposit (if only interest is missed: $10 or twice the interest, whichever is greater). (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)(2), confirmed 2026-10).
What is the maximum late fee in Connecticut?
Mandatory grace period: 9 days after the due date (4 days for week-to-week tenancies). A late charge requires a written agreement, may be assessed only once per delinquent payment, and may not exceed the lesser of $5 per day up to $50, or 5% of the delinquent rent (5% of the tenant's share where a government/charitable entity pays part of the rent). (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a, confirmed 2026-10).
How many days does a Connecticut pay-or-quit notice give the tenant?
Notice to quit must give at least 3 days before the termination date; for residential nonpayment it may be served only after the 9-day statutory grace period of § 47a-15a has run (i.e., not before the 10th day after rent was due, per the Judicial Branch landlord guide). Connecticut uses a notice to quit, not a pay-or-quit; payment within the notice period does not automatically cure. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(a), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice must a Connecticut landlord give before entering?
No fixed hour count: landlord must give reasonable written or oral notice of intent to enter and may enter only at reasonable times, except in an emergency; the right of entry may not be abused or used to harass. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-16(c), confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to raise rent in Connecticut?
Written notice not less than 45 days before the increase takes effect (for leases of one month or less, the notice period equals the length of a full term). Tenant silence is not agreement. Applies to agreements entered, renewed or extended on/after Oct 1, 2024. No statewide rent cap; protected (elderly/disabled) tenants in buildings of 5+ units may contest increases that are not 'fair and equitable' under § 47a-23c. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4e, confirmed 2026-10).
How much notice is required to end a month-to-month tenancy in Connecticut?
No separate statutory notice period for ending a month-to-month tenancy: the landlord terminates by lapse of time using a notice to quit that gives at least 3 days before the termination date (and, per the Judicial Branch guide, at least until the end of the rental period). A 30-day engine floor is conservative, not statutory. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(a), confirmed 2026-10).
Does Connecticut have statewide rent control?
No statewide rent regulation is on file for Connecticut. Local ordinances can still limit increases, so check the city or county where the unit sits before setting a renewal rent.
Is source of income a protected class in Connecticut?
Statewide source-of-income protection is on file for Connecticut. Screening criteria, advertising and income calculations must treat vouchers and benefit income like other lawful income. Local rules can add further protections.
Can a Connecticut landlord add a surcharge for paying rent by card?
Card surcharges banned. CT Gen Stat §42-133ff outright ban. Where a surcharge is allowed, it must still follow card-network rules and be disclosed before payment.
How this page was verified
Every rule is shown in one of two states. “Source-confirmed” means an editor opened the official statute page named next to the rule on the date shown, read the controlling text, and recorded the excerpt you see; the excerpt is quoted verbatim so you can check it. “Reference value” means Aptoria's compliance engine applies a conservative number for this rule, but nobody has yet tied it to a specific statute section on this page, so it must be checked before you rely on it.
This page meets Aptoria's evidence floor for publication (10 source-confirmed rules and 6 fetched official sources). Statutes change; local ordinances can be stricter; the facts of a tenancy change the result.