Connecticut protects renters through the state’s fair-housing law and significant 2023-2024 tenant-protection laws. Source of income — including Section 8 vouchers and other assistance — is a protected class under Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-64c, so a landlord cannot refuse your voucher. These laws added a 45-day notice before most rent increases, banned application fees, extended grace periods, and lets tenants seal certain eviction records. Many larger towns have a Fair Rent Commission that can roll back an unreasonable increase. This page covers the statewide framework, where to get help, and how eviction works.
- 211 Connecticut — free, 24/7 — dial 2-1-1 for rental help, shelters, and utilities
- CT Fair Housing Center: 1-888-247-4401 · ctfairhousing.org
- CHRO (source-of-income / discrimination complaints): 1-800-477-5737
- CT Law Help (free legal info): ctlawhelp.org
- HUD fair housing: 1-800-669-9777
Public Housing & Vouchers in Connecticut
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing in Connecticut are run by local housing authorities in each city and town, plus the statewide programs of the Connecticut Department of Housing (DOH). To find the authority that serves you, use HUD’s PHA directory or read how to find your PHA. Each authority keeps its own waitlist, so apply to several. For income-restricted apartments, search HUD’s LIHTC database or read how to find LIHTC housing. Because Connecticut protects source of income (below), a landlord cannot turn you away for using a voucher.
Connecticut's 2023-2024 Tenant-Protection Laws
Tenant-protection laws enacted in 2023 and 2024 strengthened renters’ rights across the state. Key pieces:
- 45-day rent-increase notice — under Connecticut General Statutes § 47a-4e, a landlord must give at least 45 days’ written notice before raising rent on a lease longer than month-to-month (month-to-month tenants get one month’s notice; week-to-week, one week)
- No application fees — charging a fee just to apply for an apartment is banned
- Capped fees and longer grace periods for late rent
- Sealed eviction records — certain eviction cases can be kept off public records so an old filing doesn’t follow you
Source of Income & Fair Rent Commissions
Source of income is a protected class under Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-64c: it is illegal to refuse to rent to someone because they rely on government assistance, including a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, state rental assistance (RAP), or the Security Deposit Guarantee Program. Complaints go to the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) at 1-800-477-5737. See our source-of-income protections guide. Connecticut does not have statewide rent control, but every municipality with more than 15,000 residents must have a Fair Rent Commission — a local board that can investigate and roll back a rent increase it finds excessive. Towns like Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, and Waterbury have them; ask your town hall or call 211.
Emergency Rental Assistance in Connecticut
- Dial 211 (United Way of Connecticut) for the current statewide list of rental, security-deposit, and eviction-prevention funds
- Security Deposit Guarantee Program through the Department of Housing can help eligible households cover a deposit
- Operation Fuel and CEAP/LIHEAP help with utility and heating bills — see utility assistance programs
- Local Community Action Agencies administer prevention funds county by county
See our emergency rental assistance guide for how these programs work.
Connecticut Tenant Law: Key Protections at a Glance
Quick Reference: Connecticut
- Source-of-income protection: yes — CGS § 46a-64c; vouchers and assistance cannot be refused
- Rent control: none statewide — but Fair Rent Commissions (towns over 15,000) can roll back excessive increases
- Rent-increase notice: 45 days for leases longer than month-to-month (CGS § 47a-4e); one month for month-to-month
- Security deposit: capped at 2 months’ rent (1 month if you are 62 or older); held in a Connecticut bank with interest
- Deposit return: within 21 days (or 15 days after you give a forwarding address, whichever is later)
- Application fees: banned under a 2023 law
- Self-help eviction: illegal — only a state marshal can carry out a court-ordered eviction
Security deposits
A Connecticut landlord may not require more than two months’ rent as a security deposit, and no more than one month’s rent if you are 62 or older. The deposit must be held in an escrow account at a Connecticut financial institution and earns interest at the rate the state sets each year. After you move out, the landlord must return it (with interest) within 21 days, or within 15 days of getting your forwarding address if that is later, along with an itemized statement of any deductions. See how to recover your security deposit.
Eviction process & how long it takes
Self-help eviction is illegal — a landlord cannot change the locks or shut off utilities, and only a state marshal can carry out a court-ordered eviction. The process (called summary process) runs like this:
- Grace period: for monthly rent, Connecticut gives a 9-day grace period before the landlord can act on nonpayment (4 days for week-to-week)
- Notice to Quit — the landlord must serve a Notice to Quit Possession giving at least 3 days before filing
- Summary process complaint filed in Housing Court (or Superior Court); you are served and can file an Appearance and Answer to raise defenses
- Hearing and judgment — if the landlord wins, the court can grant a stay of execution (often up to 3 months, and up to 6 months in hardship cases) before a marshal may act
Because of the grace period, the right to answer, and stays of execution, a Connecticut eviction commonly takes one to three months or longer. Don’t move out on a Notice to Quit alone — get help from CT Law Help or a legal-aid office, and read how to avoid eviction.
Other Housing Programs in Connecticut
- HUD-VASH (veterans) — a voucher paired with VA case management; see how to apply for HUD-VASH
- RAP (Rental Assistance Program) — Connecticut’s state-funded voucher, administered through the Department of Housing
- Emergency Housing Vouchers & rapid re-housing — access through Coordinated Access by calling 211
- Eviction prevention — our eviction prevention hub explains what to do before your court date
Where to Get Help in Connecticut
Tenant help & legal aid: CT Law Help and Connecticut Legal Services handle eviction and housing cases; the Connecticut Fair Housing Center (1-888-247-4401) helps with discrimination and source-of-income denials.
Discrimination complaints: the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) at 1-800-477-5737 enforces § 46a-64c.
Find your local PHA: HUD’s PHA directory or our how to find your PHA guide.
211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 or visit 211ct.org for rental help, shelters, and utility assistance.
HUD fair housing: file at hud.gov/reporthousingdiscrimination or call 1-800-669-9777.
Next Steps
Not sure where to start? Our Where to Start tool routes you to the right mix of programs in about two minutes.
If you have a rent increase you think is excessive, ask whether your town has a Fair Rent Commission (call 211), and if you have an eviction notice, contact CT Law Help right away. Read eviction prevention for your next moves.