Everything About Connecticut Eviction Laws [Explained]

All About Connecticut Eviction Laws

The process of being evicted can be a long and difficult one. The majority of tenants are unaware of the eviction laws in Connecticut, which often leaves them without any legal help or defense when their landlord files an eviction lawsuit against them. Understanding these laws before getting an eviction notice is crucial to protecting your rights as a tenant in this state.

This article will detail what you need to know about , including the grounds for eviction, the required notice period, and the possible defenses you may be able to use to fight an eviction.

If you are a and are facing eviction, DoNotPay can help.

The Grounds for Eviction in Connecticut

Landlords in Connecticut are only able to evict tenants for specific reasons, which are listed in the state's landlord-tenant law. The most common reasons landlords seek to evict tenants are for not paying rent, violating the lease agreement, or creating a disturbance that interferes with other tenants' peaceful enjoyment of the property.

Non-payment of Rent

A landlord can legally evict a tenant for failing to pay rent on time. This is the most common reason tenants are evicted, so if you have not paid your rent recently it's important that you understand what options you have moving forward.

If you have not paid your rent, you can either pay it in full or file for an extension before the date of the eviction. If you can pay your rent by a certain date, be sure to provide proof that payment was made on time. If you are unable to come up with the money, for this reason, you have other options.

Lease Violations

A landlord can evict a tenant for violating the terms of their lease agreement. This could include anything from not following the specific rules outlined in the lease, such as not keeping the property clean, to damaging the property or disturbing other tenants.

Creating a Disturbance

Landlords can evict tenants for creating a disturbance that interferes with other tenants' peaceful enjoyment of the property. This could be anything from playing loud music throughout the night to hosting a party where everyone is intoxicated and causing a ruckus outside.

The Required Notice Period in Connecticut

In order to file a lawsuit to evict a tenant, landlords in Connecticut must give the tenant written notice of the eviction. The notice must state the reason for the eviction and the date by which the tenant must leave the property. The required notice period depends on the reason for the eviction.

If the tenant is being evicted for not paying rent, the landlord must give them 3 days' written notice to pay or leave.
If the tenant has violated their lease agreement, the landlord must give them 15 days' written notice to correct the violation. If they do not correct it, then an eviction suit may be filed.
If the tenant is creating a disturbance, the landlord must give them 15 days' written notice to stop the behavior. If it continues, an eviction suit may be filed.

The Possible Defenses a Tenant May Use in Connecticut

At the time of filing an eviction suit, a tenant can file any number of defenses against their landlord to avoid eviction. They include:

Constructive eviction	The premise is that the landlord has failed to keep the unit habitable under state and local law. If you can show that your living conditions were uninhabitable, either because of repairs the landlord failed to make or because of an unauthorized tenant, you may have a defense
Illegal eviction	If the landlord tries to evict you without following the proper procedures, or in retaliation for exercising your legal rights, you may be able to fight the eviction
Retaliation	If the landlord tries to evict you for filing a complaint against them or for joining a tenant's union, you may be able to fight the eviction and win up to two months' free rent as damages.
Discrimination	If you think that your landlord is trying to evict you because of your race, color, creed, age, sex, or disability, or because you have children, then you may have a defense against the eviction.

Does My Landlord Have to Return My Deposit?

In most cases, yes. Connecticut law requires landlords to return security deposits within 30 days of the tenant moving out unless they have a legitimate reason for withholding all or part of the deposit.

If the landlord does not return your deposit, or if they try to keep more of your deposit than is allowed by law, you can file a complaint with the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH).

How to Defend Yourself against an Eviction in Connecticut

If you are being evicted, you must have a plan in place to defend yourself against the eviction.

First, if your landlord is trying to evict you because of non-payment of rent, make sure to bring proof that you made the payment or filed for an extension before the court date. If your lease says that you can pay late without penalty, then you should bring evidence that the landlord initially agreed to this.

If your lease says that your rent is due on a certain date and you paid it early or on time, be sure to bring proof of payment with you. If your rent is due on the 1st and you gave it to your landlord on the 30th, bring a copy of the check with you to court.

If your landlord is trying to evict you for violating your lease agreement, then gather evidence that shows that you have been following all of the rules outlined in the lease. For example, if the lease says that tenants can only have one pet and you have more than one, bring pictures as proof that you agreed to this before moving in.

If the eviction is for creating a disturbance on the premises, be sure to show that you have been trying to resolve the issue with your landlord and/or make changes so as not to further disturb anyone.

Fight an Eviction in Connecticut with the Help of DoNotPay

If you have been served an eviction notice in Connecticut, the best way to fight it is by hiring an experienced lawyer. However, this can be expensive and may not be an option for everyone.

DoNotPay can help you get the best outcome possible in your eviction case without having to pay a lawyer.

DoNotPay is here to guide you through it and file your disputes on your behalf. Our Landlord Protection product can help you:

Get back your security deposits
Learn about your state's eviction laws and what protections apply in your case
Resolve disputes regarding repairs with your landlord
Resolve disputes with roommates by filing demand letters or going through small claims court
Break your lease early

How to fight an eviction in Connecticut using DoNotPay:

If you want to fight an eviction in Connecticut but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 4 easy steps:

Search for and open the Landlord Protection product on DoNotPay.
Select which issue applies to you.
Answer a simple set of questions so our chatbot can collect the necessary information to create your demand letter.
Choose whether you want DoNotPay to send the demand letter to your landlord or roommate on your behalf. If you already tried sending a demand letter and it didn't work, we can help you start the small claims court process.

And that's it! You should hear back from your landlord directly once your demands are sent.

Why Use DoNotPay to Fight an Eviction?

DoNotPay is the world's first robot lawyer, and it has been helping people with similar eviction problems ever since its launch.

DoNotPay has a success rate of over 80% in all types of cases, and we can help you too.

We know how stressful and overwhelming it can be to go through an eviction process, but with DoNotPay, you don't have to go through all of that alone. We are:

Fast- You don’t have to spend too much time looking for Connecticut eviction laws and what applies to you.
Easy- You don’t need to fill up tedious forms and keep track of all the steps involved in fighting eviction in Connecticut.
Successful- Our Success rate speaks for itself.