If you’re a landlord seeking to evict a tenant, use a Connecticut (CT) eviction notice to begin the process. Your eviction notice must be written according to Connecticut state law, and give your tenant the legally required amount of time to respond or move out.
In Connecticut, eviction lawsuits are governed by Title 47a, Chapter 832 of the General Statutes of Connecticut.
Eviction notices in Connecticut are also known as:
- Connecticut Notice to Quit
- Connecticut Notice to Vacate
- Connecticut Notice to Pay Rent or Quit
- Connecticut Lease Termination
Connecticut Eviction Notices by Type
Download a free eviction notice customized for Connecticut state law below in MS Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF format.
3-Day Lease Termination: Use this notice to let a tenant know that you’re ending a month-to-month lease, and that they must prepare to leave your property. In Connecticut, landlords must give tenants three days’ notice to move out if they’re on a month-to-month lease. There’s no state law for how much notice tenants must provide a landlord, so it depends on the terms of the lease.
Download: Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF
15-Day Notice to Quit for Non-Compliance: Use this notice to begin evicting a tenant if they’ve broken the terms of your lease. In Connecticut, landlords must give tenants 15 days’ notice.
In that time, tenants may have the option to fix (or “cure”) the problem. Landlords may terminate the lease of tenants who break the same terms twice within six months. No cure required for the use or sale of illegal drugs, or behavior that endangers others.
Download: Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF
3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit: Use this notice to begin evicting a tenant if they haven’t paid rent on time. In Connecticut, landlords must give tenants three days to pay rent before the eviction process can proceed in court. If the tenant pays the full amount of rent and late fees within three days, the lease won’t be terminated.
Download: Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF
If you wish to send a letter simply reminding your tenant that rent is late (without threat of eviction), use a late rent notice.
Eviction Laws & Requirements
- Eviction Lawsuit: After three days, the landlord may obtain a writ, summons, and complaint from a Superior Court Commissioner. (C.G.S.A. §47a-23a)
- Grace Period for Rent Payment: 9 days, or 4 days for a one-week tenancy. A landlord may not charge late fees until after expiration of the nine- or four-day grace period. (Late Rent Grace Period and Fees)
- Late or Non-Rent Payment Notice: 3 days (C.G.S.A. § 47a-15a)
- Notice of Non-Compliance: 15 days (C.G.S.A. § 47a-15)
- Lease Termination (Month-to-Month): 30 days (C.G.S.A. § 47a-23)
What is the Eviction Process in Connecticut?
Step 1: Serve the eviction notice
After the grace period, the landlord must first serve the tenant a three-day late rent notice that states the reasons for the eviction. Those reasons could possibly be failure to pay rent, a violation of lease/rental agreement, or the termination of a month-to-month tenancy. This formally starts the eviction process.
Step 2: File the eviction lawsuit
If a tenant hasn’t paid the late rent or moved out after three days, a landlord may file a summons and complaint with the superior court or housing court.
Step 3: Schedule hearing date
The court sets a hearing date, and issues the summons and complaint to be served on the tenant.
Step 4: The tenant answers or defaults
If the tenant wants to contest the eviction, they must file a written answer to the summons and complaint within the time frame indicated on the summons. If the tenant fails to respond, the landlord may bring a default motion for the tenant’s failure to appear, or file pleadings to get a court judgment and order for possession.
Step 5: The court sets trial date
If the tenant files an answer to the complaint, a trial date is set between 7 to 10 days after the answer has been filed.
Step 6: The landlord wins the judgment
If the landlord wins then a judgment is entered against the tenant, and the landlord can request an execution order to remove the tenant from the premises. The execution order is served on the tenant by a marshal. The tenant then has 24 hours to leave the premises or their belongings may be placed in storage.
Step 7: The tenant appeals or moves out
The tenant has five days after the judgment to file an appeal. During that time, the landlord can’t execute on the judgment. If the tenant files an appeal, the stay of execution extends until after the appeal process is complete, unless the court finds the appeal was made merely for delay or other improper purposes.
Related Connecticut Court Forms
Notice to Quit (End) Possession: Notice a landlord provides to the tenant to leave the rental premises for failing to pay rent.
Summary Process (Eviction) Complaint, Nonpayment of Rent: This document begins the eviction lawsuit for non-payment of rent, stating the facts of the tenancy and non-payment.
Summons – Summary Process (Eviction): Served with the complaint to notify the tenant they’re being evicted and what they must do.
Summary Process (Eviction) Complaint, Termination of Lease by Lapse of Time: This document begins the eviction process for a lease termination.
Summary Process (Eviction), Answer to Complaint: The tenant answers the eviction lawsuit with this document, argues in their defense, and provides any proof of wrongdoing by the landlord such as uninhabitable living conditions or accepting full payment of rent while proceeding with the eviction.
Motion for Default for Failure to Appear and Judgment for Possession: The landlord files this if the tenant doesn’t appear in the eviction lawsuit.
Motion for Default for Failure to Plead and Judgment For Possession: The landlord files this if the tenant doesn’t file an answer to the eviction lawsuit.
Reply to Special Defenses: The landlord may respond to the tenant’s defenses to the eviction.
Summary Process Execution for Possession (Eviction): The court issues this document after the landlord wins the case, and is used to remove the tenant from the rental premises.
Eviction Information for Connecticut Landlords and Tenants
Resources for Landlords
Landlord and Tenant Process for Collecting Overdue Rent: A landlord must not use self-help to evict a tenant, such as turning off utilities or locking tenant out of the premises.
Landlords and Utility Services: Landlord’s obligations regarding utilities.
Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants in Connecticut: Guidebook on rental agreements, late fees, security deposits, and the eviction process.
Connecticut Law about Landlord/Tenant Law: Connecticut General Statutes Annotated on landlord and tenant obligations.
Resources for Tenants
Fair Housing Act: The federal statute forbidding landlords from discriminating against tenants based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, family status or disability.
HUD tenant resource page : Official Housing and Urban Development (HUD) resource for Connecticut tenants in federally assisted housing.
Connecticut Fair Housing Center: State law that forbids landlords from discriminating against tenants based on race, gender, sex, and sexual orientation.
Connecticut Legal Services: Organization that provides low-cost legal services for qualified applicants.
Late Rent Grace Period and Fees: Connecticut law on late fees and grace periods for late rent.
