Connecticut eviction laws

Notices, deadlines, court and tenant rights in Connecticut — in plain English.

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Overview

The court case: Summary process (eviction)
Court: Superior Court, Housing Session (or Geographical Area court) for the town where the property is located
Main laws: Summary Process, C.G.S. 47a-23 to 47a-42 (notice to quit: 47a-23; protected tenants: 47a-23c; appearance/pleading: 47a-26, 47a-26d); Landlord-Tenant Act, C.G.S. 47a-15 (notice to cure, 'Kapa notice'), 47a-15a (9-day grace period); Right to counsel notice, C.G.S. 47a-75

Just-cause protection

No statewide law

Connecticut has no general just-cause law, but tenants who are 62 or older or have a disability and live in a building with 5 or more units (or in certain mobile home parks) can be evicted only for listed good causes, such as nonpayment, serious lease violations, nuisance, or refusal of a fair rent increase. For those tenants, the end of a lease ('lapse of time') is not a ground. Since January 1, 2024, landlords must give these protected tenants written notice of these protections. (C.G.S. 47a-23c)

Notices before filing, by reason

What a landlord must serve before filing — and what a tenant should expect to receive.

Unpaid rent — Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Nonpayment of Rent

Rent is not considered unpaid until 9 days after the due date (grace period). On the 10th day or later, the landlord may have a state marshal serve a Notice to Quit giving at least 3 full days to move out. Connecticut does not require the notice to offer the tenant a chance to pay.

Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Nonpayment of Rent

Notice period

3 days

Counting

At least 3 full days between the day of service and the quit date; do not count the day of service or the quit date itself. The notice may be served on any day of the week. The quit date may not be earlier than the day after the 3 full days.

Tenant can fix it?

Must include

Name of each tenant/occupant and the address and unit of the premises
Quit date (the date by which the tenant must leave)
The reason for termination using the statutory language: 'nonpayment of rent'
Landlord name, signature and date
Attach the Judicial Branch one-page plain-language notice of the tenant's right to counsel program
For protected tenants (62+/disabled in 5+ unit buildings), the required notice of protections

How to serve

Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Sheriff, marshal or constable. An attested copy must be served by a proper officer (a state marshal or constable), either in hand or by leaving it at the tenant's usual place of residence. Landlords cannot serve it themselves.

Official form

Connecticut Judicial Branch JD-HM-7, Notice to Quit (End) Possession

Law

C.G.S. 47a-23; 47a-15a; 47a-75

Serving the notice before the 9-day grace period has passed makes it invalid.
Accepting rent after the notice to quit is served can waive it unless the landlord accepts it as 'use and occupancy' and makes that clear in writing.
In subsidized or public housing, a 14-day or 30-day pre-termination notice (Kapa-style or federal) may be required before the notice to quit.

The tenant broke the lease or rules — Notice to Cure / Kapa Notice (15-Day Notice of Breach) → Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Violation of Lease

For most lease violations, the landlord must first give a written notice (often called a 'Kapa notice') describing the violation and giving the tenant 15 days to fix it. If the tenant does not fix it, or repeats substantially the same violation within 6 months, the landlord may have a marshal serve a 3-day Notice to Quit.

Notice to Cure / Kapa Notice (15-Day Notice of Breach)

Notice period

15 days

Counting

At least 15 days after the tenant receives the notice; do not count the day of receipt.

Tenant can fix it?

Yes, within the notice period

Must include

Specific acts and omissions that make up the breach
Statement that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than 30 days after receipt unless the breach is remedied within 15 days
Landlord signature and date

How to serve

Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); First-class mail; Certified mail (return receipt). The Kapa notice does not have to be served by a marshal. Hand delivery or certified mail provides good proof.

Law

C.G.S. 47a-15

Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Violation of Lease

Notice period

3 days

Counting

At least 3 full days between service and the quit date (not counting either day).

Tenant can fix it?

Must include

Tenant names and premises address
Quit date
Reason in statutory language: 'violation of the rental agreement' (or 'violation of the provisions of section 47a-11')
Attach the right to counsel notice

How to serve

Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Sheriff, marshal or constable. Must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer.

Official form

Connecticut Judicial Branch JD-HM-7, Notice to Quit (End) Possession

Law

C.G.S. 47a-23(a)(1)(C); 47a-75

Double-check with the court: The statute's wording of the Kapa notice refers to termination 'not less than thirty days after receipt' with 15 days to cure; the notice to quit is served after the cure period expires without cure.

The lease ended and the tenant stayed — Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Lapse of Time

When a lease ends by 'lapse of time' and the tenant stays, the landlord may have a marshal serve a Notice to Quit giving at least 3 full days. This ground is NOT available against protected tenants (62+ or disabled in buildings with 5+ units).

Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Lapse of Time

Notice period

3 days

Counting

At least 3 full days between service and the quit date (not counting either day). The quit date must be after the lease has ended.

Tenant can fix it?

Must include

Tenant names and premises address
Quit date
Reason in statutory language: 'lapse of time'
Attach the right to counsel notice

How to serve

Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Sheriff, marshal or constable. Must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer.

Official form

Connecticut Judicial Branch JD-HM-7, Notice to Quit (End) Possession

Law

C.G.S. 47a-23(a)(1)(A)

Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no fault) — Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Lapse of Time (periodic tenancy)

A month-to-month (or week-to-week) tenancy ends by 'lapse of time' at the end of a rental period. The landlord may have a marshal serve a 3-day Notice to Quit with a quit date after the end of the current rental period. Not available against protected tenants (62+/disabled in 5+ unit buildings).

Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Lapse of Time (periodic tenancy)

Notice period

3 days

Counting

At least 3 full days between service and the quit date (not counting either day). Choose a quit date after the last day of a rental period.

Tenant can fix it?

Must include

Tenant names and premises address
Quit date
Reason in statutory language: 'lapse of time'
Attach the right to counsel notice

How to serve

Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Sheriff, marshal or constable. Must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer.

Official form

Connecticut Judicial Branch JD-HM-7, Notice to Quit (End) Possession

Law

C.G.S. 47a-23(a)(1)(A)

Double-check with the court: For month-to-month tenancies, Connecticut courts treat the tenancy as ending at the end of each month; serving the notice so the quit date falls after the end of the rental period is the safe practice.

Illegal activity, violence or serious damage — Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Nuisance / Serious Nuisance

For nuisance or serious nuisance (such as physical assault or threats, illegal drug sale or possession with intent, prostitution, or conduct that seriously threatens health or safety), no cure notice is required. The landlord may have a marshal serve a 3-day Notice to Quit directly.

Notice to Quit (End) Possession - Nuisance / Serious Nuisance

Notice period

3 days

Counting

At least 3 full days between service and the quit date (not counting either day).

Tenant can fix it?

Must include

Tenant names and premises address
Quit date
Reason in statutory language: 'nuisance' or 'serious nuisance' (as defined in 47a-15)
Attach the right to counsel notice

How to serve

Hand it to the tenant in person; Leave it with an adult who lives there (and mail a copy if required); Sheriff, marshal or constable. Must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer.

Official form

Connecticut Judicial Branch JD-HM-7, Notice to Quit (End) Possession

Law

C.G.S. 47a-15; 47a-23(a)(1)(C)

How a tenant responds

The summons lists a return date. The tenant must file an Appearance (JD-CL-12) no later than 2 days after the return date, and then an Answer (JD-HM-5) within 2 days after the return date (or as the court directs), or the landlord may ask for a default judgment. The right to counsel program may provide a free lawyer to eligible tenants.

Deadline: 2 days after being served · Form: Connecticut Judicial Branch JD-CL-12 (Appearance) and JD-HM-5 (Answer to Summary Process Complaint) · C.G.S. 47a-26, 47a-26d; Practice Book 10-8

City and local rules

Many towns (including Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford) have Fair Rent Commissions that can hear tenant rent complaints; a pending complaint can delay an eviction for some reasons and retaliation is prohibited (C.G.S. 7-148b et seq., 47a-20).

Official court forms

Landlords

JD-HM-7 — Notice to Quit (End) Possession
JD-HM-8 — Summary Process (Eviction) Complaint – Nonpayment of Rent
JD-HM-20 — Summary Process (Eviction) Complaint – Termination of Lease by Lapse of Time
JD-HM-32 — Summons — Summary Process (Eviction)

Tenants

JD-HM-5 — Summary Process (Eviction) Answer to Complaint

All Connecticut forms →

Sources

Checked 2026-09. General information, not legal advice; laws change and courts differ. We strive for accuracy but don’t guarantee it.