A Connecticut rental agreement is a legal contract between a landlord overseeing a rental property and a tenant who wishes to use it. Connecticut landlord-tenant law governs these agreements; rental terms must be within the limits allowed by law.
Connecticut Rental Agreement Types
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A Connecticut roommate agreement is a legal contract between two or more people (“co-tenants”) who share a rental property according to rules they set, including for things like splitting the rent. This agreement binds the co-tenants living together, and doesn’t include the landlord.
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Common Residential Rental Agreements in Connecticut
- Connecticut Department of Housing Unite CT Rental Terms Form – Connecticut tenants residing in a hotel or motel, or on an oral lease, can use this form to formalize and document some of their rental arrangements. This form covers the rental term, rent payment, and additional expenses for which the tenant may be responsible.
Connecticut Required Residential Lease Disclosures
- Landlord’s Name and Address (required for all leases) – Connecticut leases must contain the name and address of the landlord or authorized agent. This enables smooth communication of any important legal notice.
- Common Interest Community Notice (required for some leases) – Connecticut rentals located in a common interest community must provide a notice in the lease agreement alerting prospective tenants of potential expectations required for that community.
- Operative Fire Sprinkler System Notice (required for all leases) – Connecticut leases agreements must include a written notice, in 12-point uniform font, disclosing whether or not there is a functioning fire sprinkler in the rental unit, along with maintenance history.
- Bed Bug Disclosure (required for all leases) – Connecticut landlords must disclose whether any adjacent or contiguous property is known or suspected to host a bed bug infestation. The rental property’s bed bug inspection history also must be disclosed to the tenant if requested.
- Lead-Based Paint Disclosures (required for some leases) – For any property built before 1978, federal law requires that a Connecticut residential lease must contain a lead-based paint disclosure with an EPA informational pamphlet, plus notice of any lead hazards on the property.
To learn more about required disclosures in Connecticut, click here.
Connecticut Landlord Tenant Laws
- Warranty of Habitability – Connecticut landlords can only rent out habitable property, which means providing certain features essential to basic health and safety. This includes things like heat, plumbing, electricity, and sound structural elements. Landlords must repair any issues within 15 days after proper notice from the tenant. Failure to repair lets a tenant sue the landlord or terminate the lease. Tenants in Connecticut aren’t allowed to withhold rent, or to repair and deduct from the rent in most cases.
- Evictions – Connecticut landlords may evict for rent default, lease violations, or illegal acts, among other things. Before filing eviction, landlords must serve tenants with prior notice of three to 15 days, depending on the eviction type. Most evictions in Connecticut take a month or more.
- Security Deposits – Connecticut caps security deposits at a maximum of two months’ rent, for most leases (one month, for tenants over age 62). Upon lease termination, a landlord must return any unused portion of a tenant’s security deposit within 30 days of move-out, or within 15 days of receiving the former tenant’s forwarding address.
- Lease Termination – Connecticut lets tenants break a month-to-month lease with three days of advance notice. A fixed-term lease generally can’t be terminated early without active military duty, landlord harassment, uninhabitable property, or domestic abuse.
- Rent Increases and Fees – Connecticut does not regulate rent increases, late fees, or returned check fees.
- Landlord Entry – Connecticut landlords may enter rental property for purposes reasonably related to the tenancy, such as maintenance, inspections, and property showings. A landlord can enter at reasonable times of day using reasonable advance notice (customarily at least 24 hours). Entry requirements are temporarily suspended in emergency situations.
- Settling Legal Disputes – Connecticut allows its small claims courts to hear landlord-tenant disputes, as long as the amount in controversy is under $5,000. In some parts of Connecticut, landlords and tenants may instead have a dispute heard by a local Housing Session.
To learn more about landlord tenant laws in Connecticut, click here.
