Connecticut Rent Increase Laws

Connecticut does not have statewide rent control laws limiting the amount that landlords may ask for rent. State law prohibits local governments from establishing rent control laws except to establish a fair rent commission that handles complaints and prevents landlords from charging excessive rents.

In May 2022, the Connecticut legislature approved House Bill 5205. The act requires fair rent commissions in cities, towns, and boroughs with populations over 25,000. Local governments must establish a fair rent commission by July 1, 2023. [1]

When Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Connecticut?

• Wait until the end of the lease term (unless otherwise specified in the lease)
• Give reasonable notice
• Aren’t raising rent for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons

45 days before the end of a year-long lease, a landlord sends a notice that rent will increase by 5% if they choose to renew the lease.

When Can’t a Landlord Raise Rent in Connecticut?

Landlords in Connecticut may not raise the rent if:

• The increase is applied in a way that discriminates against one of the protected classes specified in the Fair Housing Act
• It is during the middle of a lease’s fixed term (unless stated otherwise in the lease agreement)
• It is done in response to a protected tenant action, such as filing a complaint. This is known as “ retaliation ” [2] .

In addition to the characteristics above, state law also prohibits discrimination because a tenant has a past conviction for possession of cannabis products or 4 or fewer ounces of cannabis plant material [3] .

How Often Can Rent Be Increased in Connecticut?

Landlords in Connecticut can increase the rent as often as they wish, as long as sufficient notice is provided each time.

How Much Notice is Needed to Raise Rent in Connecticut?

Connecticut law does not require a specific notice period before raising the rent.

However, it still requires that landlords act in good faith, meaning they should give the tenant reasonable notice when increasing rent. In many states, one month is considered reasonable.

How Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Connecticut?

In areas with a fair rent commission, landlords in Connecticut cannot raise the rent by an amount that would be considered “harsh and unconscionable” [4] .

If a tenant thinks a rent increase is unreasonable, they must submit a complaint to their local Fair Housing Commission to contest it.

Fair rent commissions are required to consider these factors [5] :

• Amount and frequency of rent increases
• Landlord’s operating costs
• Number and size of bedrooms
• Repairs necessary to make the accommodations livable
• Number of bathtubs, showers, toilets, and sinks
• Services, furniture, and furnishings
• Availability of utilities
• Comparable rents
• Sanitary conditions
• Compliance with state and local health and safety laws and regulations
• Renter’s income and housing availability
• Tenant damage to the premises, other than ordinary wear and tear
• Potential reinvestment in the property

After a tenant files a complaint, the commission will hold a hearing and may:

• Order a reduction of the rent increase
• Order the rent increase to be phased over time
• Deny the rent increase
• Require the rent increase to be delayed until the landlord complies with health and safety requirements or makes necessary repairs
• Deny the tenant’s claim

Tenants can file a case with Superior Court to contest a rent increase if their local government does not have a fair rent commission [6] and they live in a mobile home or a building or complex with 5 or more dwellings and are disabled or 62 years old or older [7] .

In boroughs and towns without a fair rent commission, landlords can raise the rent by any amount they wish. There is no legal limit or cap on the amount of a rent increase in those areas.

Sources

…any town, city or borough with a population of twenty-five thousand or more, as determined by the most recent decennial census, shall, through its legislative body, adopt an ordinance that creates a fair rent commission.

A landlord shall not…demand an increase in rent…within six months…after…tenant has in good faith attempted to remedy…or filing a complaint…has in good faith requested…repairs…has organized or become a member of a tenants’ union.

…a landlord or property manager may not …discriminate against…an existing tenant, based on a past conviction for possession of a cannabis-type substance…or…possession of four or fewer ounces of cannabis plant material…

If a commission determines…that the rental charge or proposed increase…is so excessive…as to be harsh and unconscionable, it may order that the rent be limited to such an amount as it determines to be fair and equitable.

In determining whether a rental charge or a proposed increase in a rental charge is so excessive…as to be harsh and unconscionable, a fair rent commission shall consider such of the following circumstances…

Any such tenant aggrieved by a rent increase…may file a complaint…if no such fair rent commission exists, may bring an action in the Superior Court to contest the increase.

…this section applies to any tenant who resides in a building or complex consisting of five or more separate dwelling units or who resides in a mobile manufactured home park and who is either…sixty-two years of age or older…or…a person with a physical or mental disability…