Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a § 19a-358
(Formerly Sec. 19-362). Size of rooms.
Operative Text
In each tenement house, all rooms, except water-closet compartments, bathrooms and kitchenettes, shall be of the following minimum sizes: In each apartment there shall be at least one room containing not less than one hundred and twenty square feet of floor area, and each other room shall contain at least seventy square feet of floor area. Each room shall be in at least seventy-five per cent of its area not less than seven feet eight inches high from the finished floor to the finished ceiling, except attic rooms, which shall be at least seven feet four inches high in one-half of its area. A kitchenette with less than seventy square feet of floor area need not be considered a separate room but shall comply with section 19-359.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-358, Connecticut tenement houses must meet specific minimum room-size standards. At least one room in each apartment must have no less than 120 square feet of floor area, while all other rooms (excluding water-closet compartments, bathrooms, and qualifying kitchenettes) must be at least 70 square feet. Ceiling height requirements also apply: at least 75% of each room's area must reach a finished height of 7 feet 8 inches, with a slightly reduced standard for attic rooms. Kitchenettes under 70 square feet are not counted as separate rooms but must still comply with related code provisions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating tenement houses in Connecticut should ensure that every apartment meets the room-size minimums established by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-358. Compliant operators generally verify that at least one room per unit reaches 120 square feet, that all other habitable rooms meet the 70-square-foot floor-area threshold, and that ceiling heights satisfy the 7-foot-8-inch standard across at least 75% of each room's area. Kitchenettes below 70 square feet should be treated as non-room spaces but still reviewed for compliance with the cross-referenced code section. Documenting floor plans and measurements can help demonstrate ongoing compliance during inspections.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-358 establishes minimum room sizes and ceiling heights that landlords of tenement houses in Connecticut are required to meet. Tenants who believe their unit's rooms fall below these minimums—such as a primary room under 120 square feet or other habitable rooms under 70 square feet—may have grounds to raise a housing-code violation. General enforcement paths can include filing a complaint with the local housing or building code enforcement office, raising the violation as a defense in relevant legal proceedings, or reaching out to a tenant-rights organization for information about available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 17, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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