Connecticut (CT) lease form
Connecticut residential leases are governed by Connecticut General Statutes Title 47a, which sets firm rules on what a lease must disclose, what it may never say, and how landlords must identify themselves to tenants. The state goes further than many others by requiring sprinkler-system notices in bold type, written common-interest-community disclosures, and a statutory nine-day grace period that cannot be contracted away. Whether you manage a single condo in New Haven or a portfolio of multifamily units in Hartford, a compliant lease is your first line of defense against unenforceable clauses and costly disputes.
Revun generates a Connecticut-ready lease with the required disclosures and clauses built in, then handles e-signature, rent, and renewals on the same platform.
For any dwelling built before 1978, landlords must disclose known lead-based paint hazards, provide an EPA-approved "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home" pamphlet, and include a signed acknowledgment in the lease. Required by federal law (42 U.S.C. 4852d) and applies in Connecticut.
Every rental agreement must state the name and address of the person authorized to manage the premises and the name and address of the owner or owner's agent who is authorized to receive notices, demands, and service of process. Failure to include this information means the person who signed the lease on the landlord's behalf is deemed the landlord's agent for all legal purposes.
If the dwelling unit is in a building required to have a fire sprinkler system, the lease must include a notice of its existence printed in no less than 12-point boldface type. The notice must also state the date of the most recent sprinkler system maintenance and inspection.
A landlord may not rent a unit known to have an active bed bug infestation. Upon a prospective tenant's request, the landlord must disclose the last date the unit was inspected and found free of bed bugs. Best practice is to include a written bed bug disclosure in the lease at signing.
If the rental unit is located within a common interest community (such as a condominium association or planned community), the landlord must provide written notice of that fact to the tenant before the tenancy begins. This disclosure is typically incorporated directly into the lease.
Within 30 days of receiving a security deposit, the landlord must provide written notice of the name and address of the financial institution where the deposit is held and the account number. This notice may be included in the lease or delivered separately.
If the rental unit shares a utility meter with other units or common areas, the lease must disclose how utility costs are calculated and allocated among tenants. Landlords must specify which utilities the tenant pays and the method used to divide shared costs.
Connecticut requires landlords to provide tenants with a copy of the state-prepared summary of landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities, as published by the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit, at the start of the tenancy. Tenants who do not receive this summary may assert ignorance of the law as a defense in certain proceedings.
General information, not legal advice. Governing statute: Connecticut General Statutes Title 47a, Chapter 830 - Rights and Responsibilities of Landlord and Tenant. Confirm current requirements or consult an attorney before finalizing a lease.
Connecticut lease FAQ
Connecticut landlords must disclose the landlord's identity and authorized agent's name and address (CGS 47a-6), fire sprinkler system status and last inspection date in 12-point bold type (CGS 47a-3f), known bed bug infestation history (CGS 47a-7a), whether the property is in a common interest community (CGS 47a-3e), and security deposit account information within 30 days of receipt (CGS 47a-21). For properties built before 1978, the federal lead-based paint disclosure and EPA pamphlet are also required. Landlords must also provide tenants with the state's landlord-tenant rights summary prepared by the Attorney General's office.
A written lease is legally required for any tenancy longer than one year under Connecticut's Statute of Frauds (CGS 52-550). For tenancies of one year or less, oral agreements can be enforceable if the tenant actually occupies the premises, but a written lease is always the safer choice because it clearly documents rent, duties, and lease-specific rules that both parties agree to.
Under CGS 47a-4, a Connecticut lease cannot require tenants to waive their statutory rights, authorize the landlord to confess judgment, require tenants to indemnify or release the landlord from liability, allow self-help eviction without a court order, or impose late fees before the nine-day grace period expires. Any such clause is void and unenforceable even if both parties sign it.
Connecticut law (CGS 47a-15a) prohibits any late fee from being assessed until at least nine days after rent is due for monthly tenancies. The statute does not set a hard dollar cap on the fee amount, but the late fee policy must be stated in the lease to be enforceable and may not be applied before the grace period expires. Including a specific dollar amount or percentage in the lease prevents ambiguity.
Yes. If the rental unit is in a building that is required to have a fire sprinkler system under Connecticut law, the lease must include a written notice of its existence printed in at least 12-point boldface type, along with the date of the most recent maintenance and inspection of the system (CGS 47a-3f). Omitting this notice could expose a landlord to liability and tenant defenses.
