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Connecticut Tenant Rights



Guide to Connecticut Tenant Rights

If you are renting a house or apartment in Connecticut, it's important to understand your CT tenant rights according to state and federal laws.  This guide will explain several basic Connecticut tenant rights, as well as what you may legally do as a tenant if your landlord has violated any of your rights.  For more information on CT tenant rights, you may want to talk to a landlord tenant attorney or your local tenant rights organization.

Habitability

All rented dwellings must meet basic standards of habitability to comply with Connecticut tenant rights.  Your CT tenant rights require your apartment or house to have safe hot and cold running water, functional heat and plumbing systems, well lit hallways and entryways, and be free from pests.  Your landlord is responsible for making sure your unit is cleaned before you move in.

You are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and habitability of your dwelling.  If your unit needs repairs in order to be habitable, you are required to notify your landlord in writing before you can take action in court according to your Connecticut tenant rights.

Quiet Enjoyment

Your landlord is required by CT tenant rights not only to provide you with a habitable space to live, but also to permit you “quiet enjoyment” of the premises.  That means that your landlord is not allowed to enter your apartment without a good reason.  According to Connecticut tenant rights, landlords may enter a tenant's unit in order to make needed repairs or perform an inspection, but only after giving reasonable notice.

Emergency repairs may be made with minimal or no notice without violating your Connecticut rights.  Your landlord always has the right to enter your dwelling in an emergency in order to prevent danger to you or other tenants, or major damage to the property.

Remedies

If your landlord violates your CT tenant rights, you may wonder what action you are legally allowed to take.  You may be able to break your lease without penalty if your landlord refuses to make needed repairs or does not allow you to quietly enjoy your property.  Many tenants believe that Connecticut tenant rights allow them to withhold rent or deduct the cost of repairs from their rent.  While these are remedies that are allowed in some states, CT tenant rights do not permit them.

In order to force a landlord to make repairs in order to make your dwelling habitable, you must go to court and obtain a court order.  This court order may demand that your landlord make the repairs in a certain amount of time, and may allow you to deduct the cost of repairs from rent if your landlord continues to neglect the unit.
Evictions

Any landlord attempting to personally evict a tenant by changing his or her locks, shutting off utilities, or removing his or her belongings from the unit is in violation of Connecticut tenant rights law.  Landlords may only obtain an eviction order from the civil court system.  If your landlord is trying to evict you with illegal methods, seek legal help right away to help you protect your CT tenant rights.

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