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Landlord Retaliation Laws in Connecticut

Connecticut law bars a landlord from evicting, raising rent or cutting services within 6 months after a tenant makes a good-faith complaint, requests repairs or joins a tenant union.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Connecticut at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
Yes
Presumption period
6 months
The statute bars these actions for six months after the protected act; courts treat it as a rebuttable presumption, and 47a-20a lists exceptions.
Protected tenant actions
Code complaints, repair requests, lawsuits, tenant unions
Covers good-faith efforts to fix code violations (including complaints to officials or a fair rent commission), agency notices of violations, repair requests, repair lawsuits under 47a-14h, and joining a tenant union.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Connecticut

Does Connecticut law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in Connecticut: yes.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Connecticut?

Presumption period in Connecticut: 6 months. The statute bars these actions for six months after the protected act; courts treat it as a rebuttable presumption, and 47a-20a lists exceptions.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Connecticut?

Protected tenant actions in Connecticut: Code complaints, repair requests, lawsuits, tenant unions. Covers good-faith efforts to fix code violations (including complaints to officials or a fair rent commission), agency notices of violations, repair requests, repair lawsuits under 47a-14h, and joining a tenant union.

Where do the Connecticut landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-20 and Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-20a. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Exceptions include nonpayment of rent, illegal use, the landlord's own good-faith use, and a termination notice given before the complaint.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.