Last reviewed September 2026
Written by LawLease Editorial
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Connecticut Background & Credit Check Authorization
This Background & Credit Check Authorization is built with Connecticut as the governing state. These are the Connecticut landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.
Connecticut rules at a glance
| Tenant screening fee | $50 cap (inflation-adjusted); no other application or move-in feesC.G.S. §47a-4d |
|---|---|
| Security deposit limit | 2 months’ rent · 1 month if the tenant is 62 or olderC.G.S. §47a-21(b) |
| Deposit return | Later of 21 days after move-out or 15 days after a written forwarding address, with interestC.G.S. §47a-21(d) |
| Escrow account | The full deposit must go immediately into an escrow account at a Connecticut financial institution. Within 30 days of receiving it, the landlord must tell the tenant in writing how much is held and the name and address of the institution (§47a-21(h)). |
| Deposit escrow notice | The amount held and the bank’s name and address, within 30 days of receiving the deposit (§47a-21). |
Security deposits in Connecticut
Connecticut caps the security deposit at two months’ rent, or one month’s rent if the tenant is 62 or older. A landlord already holding more than one month from a tenant who turns 62 must refund the excess on request (§47a-21(b)).
- Escrow account — The full deposit must go immediately into an escrow account at a Connecticut financial institution. Within 30 days of receiving it, the landlord must tell the tenant in writing how much is held and the name and address of the institution (§47a-21(h)).
- Mandatory interest — Deposits earn interest at no less than the annual “deposit index” set by the Banking Commissioner (0.49% for 2026), paid or credited on each anniversary of the tenancy. A lease can’t waive it (§§47a-21(i), 47a-4).
- Return deadline — The landlord must return the deposit plus interest, or the balance with an itemized written statement of damages, within 21 days after the tenancy ends or 15 days after receiving the tenant’s forwarding address in writing — whichever is later (§47a-21(d)).
- Penalty — A landlord who misses the deadline is liable for twice the deposit; if the only failure is unpaid interest, the penalty is the greater of $10 or twice the interest (§47a-21(d)).
- Walk-through — Before move-in, the landlord must offer the tenant a walk-through using the Department of Housing’s checklist, signed by both sides; the landlord can’t later charge the deposit for conditions recorded on it (§47a-7c).
Required disclosures in Connecticut
- Rental Terms Summary Form — For any written lease signed or renewed on or after April 1, 2026, the Department of Housing’s standardized summary (premises, tenants, landlord, contact person, term, rent and every recurring charge) must be the first page, in English and Spanish (P.A. 25-44 §9).
- Protected-tenant notice — In buildings with five or more units, the DOH notice of senior and disability eviction protections must be given at signing and at every renewal (§47a-23c).
- Walk-through checklist — An offer of a pre-occupancy walk-through using the DOH checklist (§47a-7c).
- Fire sprinklers — Where the building is required to have a sprinkler system, the lease must state in 12-point bold type whether an operative system exists and, if so, its last maintenance and inspection date (§47a-3f).
- Owner / agent identity — In writing at or before move-in, the name and address of the person authorized to manage the premises and of the person authorized to receive notices, demands and service of process — kept current (§47a-6).
- Bed bugs — Before renting, a landlord must tell a prospective tenant whether the unit or any contiguous unit the landlord owns currently has a bed bug infestation, and can’t offer a unit known or reasonably suspected to be infested (§47a-7a(c)).
- Lead-based paint — Federal lead warning and known-hazard disclosure for housing built before 1978 (42 U.S.C. §4852d).
- Deposit escrow notice — The amount held and the bank’s name and address, within 30 days of receiving the deposit (§47a-21).
Connecticut Background & Credit Check Authorization FAQs
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Connecticut?
No more than two months’ rent — or one month’s rent if the tenant is 62 or older. A landlord holding more than one month from a tenant who later turns 62 must refund the excess on request. The deposit must sit in an escrow account and earns mandatory annual interest (C.G.S. §47a-21).
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Connecticut?
The later of 21 days after the tenancy ends or 15 days after receiving the tenant’s forwarding address in writing. The landlord must return the deposit with interest, or the balance with an itemized list of damages. Missing the deadline can cost twice the deposit (§47a-21(d)).
More Connecticut landlord documents
- Connecticut Residential Lease Agreement
- Connecticut Eviction Notice
- Connecticut Security Deposit Return Letter
- Connecticut Rent Increase Notice
- Connecticut Application Approval Letter
- Connecticut Application Denial Letter
- Connecticut Rental Application
- Connecticut Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Connecticut Bed Bug Addendum
- Connecticut Mold & Mildew Addendum
- Connecticut No-Smoking Addendum
- Connecticut Parking & Storage Addendum
- Connecticut HOA & Community Rules Addendum
- Connecticut Crime-Free Housing Addendum
- Connecticut Utilities & Services Addendum
- Connecticut Early Termination Addendum
- Connecticut Lease Extension Addendum
- Connecticut Lead-Based Paint Disclosure
- Connecticut Military Clause (SCRA)
- Connecticut Pet Addendum
- Connecticut Cash for Keys Agreement
- Connecticut Mutual Lease Termination Agreement
- Connecticut Lease Renewal Agreement
- Connecticut Notice of Non-Renewal
- Connecticut Late Rent Notice
- Connecticut Lease Violation Notice
- Connecticut Notice of Entry
- Connecticut Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist
- Connecticut Rent Receipt
- Connecticut Rent Verification Letter
- Connecticut Tenant Welcome Letter
- Connecticut Property Management Agreement
- Connecticut Commercial Lease
- Connecticut Rent-to-Own Agreement
- Connecticut Short-Term Rental Agreement
- Connecticut Room Rental Agreement
- Connecticut Roommate Agreement
- Connecticut Spanish Lease Agreement
- Connecticut Sublease Agreement
- Connecticut Lease Amendment
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