Sec. 47a-7. Landlord's responsibilities.
Sec. 47a-7. Landlord's responsibilities. (a) A landlord shall: (1) Comply with the
requirements of chapter 368o and all applicable building and housing codes materially
affecting health and safety of both the state or any political subdivision thereof; (2) make
all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable
condition, except where the premises are intentionally rendered unfit or uninhabitable
by the tenant, a member of his family or other person on the premises with his consent,
in which case such duty shall be the responsibility of the tenant; (3) keep all common
areas of the premises in a clean and safe condition; (4) maintain in good and safe working
order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating and other
facilities and appliances and elevators, supplied or required to be supplied by him; (5)
provide and maintain appropriate receptacles for the removal of ashes, garbage, rubbish
and other waste incidental to the occupancy of the dwelling unit and arrange for their
removal; and (6) supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water at all times
and reasonable heat except if the building which includes the dwelling unit is not required
by law to be equipped for that purpose or if the dwelling unit is so constructed that heat
or hot water is generated by an installation within the exclusive control of the tenant or
supplied by a direct public utility connection.
(b) If any provision of any municipal ordinance, building code or fire code requires
a greater duty of the landlord than is imposed under subsection (a) of this section, then
such provision of such ordinance or code shall take precedence over the provision requiring such lesser duty in said subsection.
(c) The landlord and tenant of a single-family residence may agree in writing that the
tenant perform the landlord's duties specified in subdivisions (5) and (6) of subsection (a)
and also specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations, or remodeling, provided the
transaction is entered into in good faith and not for the purpose of evading the obligations
of the landlord.
(d) The landlord and tenant of a dwelling unit other than a single-family residence
may agree that the tenant is to perform specified repairs, maintenance tasks, alterations
or remodeling if (1) the agreement of the parties is entered into in good faith; (2) the
agreement is in writing; (3) the work is not necessary to cure noncompliance with subdivisions (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of this section; and (4) the agreement does not
diminish or affect the obligation of the landlord to other tenants in the premises.
(P.A. 76-95, S. 7, 27; 76-435, S. 75, 82; P.A. 77-451, S. 2; P.A. 79-571, S. 14; P.A. 80-235.)
History: P.A. 76-435 revised effective date section of P.A. 76-95, see history for Sec. 47a-1; P.A. 77-451 substituted
"or" for "and" preceding the word "supplied" in Subdiv. (6); P.A. 79-571 made technical grammatical corrections in
Subsec. (a); P.A. 80-235 inserted new Subsec. (c) re agreements between landlord and tenant that tenant will perform
landlord's duties, relettering former Subsec. (c) as (d) and specifying its applicability to dwelling units "other than a single
family residence".
Cited. 191 C. 484. Cited. 196 C. 591. Cited. 211 C. 501. Cited. 213 C. 354. Cited. 217 C. 57. Cited. 231 C. 923. Cited.
235 C. 360; see also 40 CA 219. Cited. 242 C. 236.
Cited. 4 CA 209; Id., 608. Cited. 10 CA 527. Cited. 13 CA 1. Cited. 16 CA 444. Cited. 32 CA 133. Cited. 35 CA 126;
judgment reversed, see 235 C. 360. Cited. 40 CA 219; Id., 595. Cited. 42 CA 324; judgment reversed, see 242 C. 236.
Tenants may plead breach of implied warranty of habitability as special defense to action for summary process. 35 CS
233. Cited. 36 CS 47; Id., 611. Failure to install smoke detectors constitutes a material safety hazard and tenants are relieved
of obligation to pay rent during period detectors not installed. 38 CS 67. Cited. Id., 683. Cited. 41 CS 283. Cited. 44 CS 544.
Subsec. (a):
Subdiv. (2) cited. 190 C. 552; 208 C. 161. Subdiv. (3) cited. Id. Cited. Id., 620.
Subdiv. (3) cited. 12 CA 172. Cited. 31 CA 359. Subdiv. (2) cited. 40 CA 219. Cited. Id., 595. Subdiv. (2) cited. 43
CA 578. Subdiv. (1) cited. 45 CA 46.
Cited. 35 CS 151. Subdivs. (1) and (2) cited. Id., 549. Tenant's unilateral, self-serving declaration that conditions violate
municipal codes is insufficient to meet burden of proof that conditions justify withholding rent. Id. Subdiv. (2): Intent of
legislature was to make landlord's duty to maintain premises in a habitable condition dependent upon the covenant to pay
rent. Tenant was relieved of obligation to pay rent while her apartment was uninhabitable. Id., 151. Cited. 37 CS 873.
Cited. 38 CS 393. No provision in statute requires landlord to provide lawn and yard care; such expense is not necessary
to keep premises "fit and habitable". Id., 603.