Rental laws differ from state to state, and Connecticut has some rules and regulations that are unique to that area. If you’re looking to invest in real estatEvictionse in Connecticut, keep reading to learn about some rental laws that you’ll need to know when housing tenants in the state.
Required Disclosures
In Connecticut, there are state laws regarding what information landlords are legally required to tell their tenants about the property they’re now occupying.
For instance, landlords are required to provide a written notice detailing the amount of the tenant’s security deposit and the name and address of the institution where the deposit will be held for the duration of their lease. The landlord must provide this notice within 30 days of them receiving the deposit.
Also, if the landlord is aware that the unit is currently infested with bed bugs, they are prohibited from offering it up for rent, and they must disclose the infestation to potential future tenants. If the tenant requests, the landlord also must disclose the last time the unit was inspected and found to be free of bed bugs.
If the property is located within a common interest community like a retirement community or condominium complex, the landlord must tell the tenant this with a written notice before they sign the rental agreement.
Finally, if the property is required to be equipped with a fire sprinkler system, the landlord must provide a notice in font that is no less than 12-point acknowledging the fire sprinkler’s existence.
Rent and Fees
Application fees and late fees are not regulated in Connecticut, so it is up to the landlord what they would like to charge in these circumstances.
Rent is payable at the beginning of each month if not otherwise stated in the rental agreement, and landlords must provide receipts for all cash rent payments. Landlords are also not allowed to require their residents to pay via electronic funds transfer without an alternative paper option.
Also, the state has a grace period of nine days. This means that tenants have nine days after the due date to submit rent payments before the landlord can charge late fees.
Tenants also have remedies in Connecticut. Connecticut’s repair and deduct remedy applies when the landlord does not supply heat, running water, electricity, gas, or other essential services. The tenant must notify their landlord of the issue and either deduct the cost of the service from rent or find a reasonable substitute housing until the landlord remedies the issue. If the landlord deliberately refuses to supply the service, the tenant can terminate their lease and either double the actual damages or be reimbursed two months’ rent, whichever amount is more.
Evictions
Aside from evicting tenants with outstanding rent, evicting squatters is also another thing that landlords have to deal with as believe it or not, squatters have rights as well. You may be wondering why do squatters have rights, well squatters’ rights were created a while back in an attempt to protect urban residents seeking affordable housing. These rights allowed individuals to settle in abandoned homes that were not being used or build their homes upon unclaimed land.
Connecticut eviction laws allow residents three days to either pay outstanding rent or fees or arrange to move out following a rent demand notice.
If the tenant violates terms in their lease, the landlord can give them a notice for lease violation and allow 15 days to either cure the violation or quit.
Finally, Connecticut landlord tenant laws state that no notice is required if the tenant uses the property for illegal purposes like drug manufacturing or prostitution. In these cases, they have 15 days to leave the premises with no chance of remedying the issue.
Security Deposit
Connecticut is unique in the fact that they differentiate security deposit limits for tenants younger and older than 62 years old. For those younger, two months’ rent is the deposit limit. If the tenant is older than 62, the landlord cannot charge more than one months’ rent.
Landlords are required to pay interest on all tenants’ security deposits and return deposits alongside a written list of deductions within 30 to 15 days after the lease termination date, depending on when the tenant provides a forwarding address.
Finally, a Connecticut security deposit must be kept in a separate escrow account maintained by a financial institution.
Conclusion
Each state is different, so be sure to double check with your state laws to see what is expected from you as a landlord. Your job is an important one with lots of property management details to keep in mind, so think about consulting an attorney or another experienced Connecticut landlord if you find that you’re getting overwhelmed.
