New Haven, Conn., Code of Ordinances ch. 17, art. XIV § 17-80
Term of license
Operative Text
(a) Once the residential rental property owner pays all applicable fees, costs, outstanding fines and/or penalties, and the residential rental property has passed inspection as required, the owner shall be issued a residential rental property license, which license may be valid for a period of up to three (3) years from the date of application. (b) At the City's sole discretion, all licenses may be reviewed at any time. Following the issuance of a residential license, if the licensed residential rental property does not meet the criteria established in the Checklist, the license may be suspended, revoked, and/or modified. (c) The director of the Livable City Initiative or their designee shall have the authority to revoke a residential rental property license for all properties owned or managed by a landlord or management company if five (5) unresolved housing code violations exist simultaneously on any of their properties. Upon revocation, all properties owned or managed by the landlord or management company shall be subject to fines under section 17-84 for operating without a valid license.
Under New Haven Code of Ordinances ch. 17, art. XIV § 17-80, a residential rental property license is issued once the owner has paid all required fees and the property has passed inspection, and it may remain valid for up to three years from the date of application. The city retains the right to review, suspend, revoke, or modify any license at any time if the property no longer meets the standards set out in the inspection checklist. Notably, if five or more unresolved housing code violations exist simultaneously across any properties owned or managed by the same landlord or management company, the director of the Livable City Initiative may revoke licenses for all of that owner's or company's properties, triggering fines for operating without a valid license.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to § 17-80 generally ensure that all fees, costs, and outstanding fines are resolved before seeking a license, and that each property continues to meet the checklist criteria throughout the license period of up to three years. Because the city may review licenses at any time and revoke them if violations go unresolved, compliant operators typically address housing code violations promptly across their entire portfolio—not just at a single address. Landlords and management companies should be aware that five simultaneous unresolved violations across any of their properties can trigger portfolio-wide revocation and expose every property they own or manage to fines under § 17-84.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section § 17-80 establishes that a landlord's rental license can be suspended, revoked, or modified if the property falls out of compliance with the city's inspection checklist, and that widespread unresolved violations can result in license revocation across all properties a landlord owns or manages. Tenants who believe their building has unresolved housing code violations may consider reporting those conditions to the Livable City Initiative, which holds enforcement authority under this provision. Tenant-rights organizations in New Haven can help residents understand how the licensing and inspection framework under § 17-80 may relate to conditions in their building and what options may be available to them.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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