Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a § 47a-11
Tenant's responsibilities.
Operative Text
A tenant shall: (a) Comply with all obligations primarily imposed upon tenants by applicable provisions of any building, housing or fire code materially affecting health and safety; (b) keep such part of the premises that he occupies and uses as clean and safe as the condition of the premises permit; (c) remove from his dwelling unit all ashes, garbage, rubbish and other waste in a clean and safe manner to the place provided by the landlord pursuant to subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of section 47a-7; (d) keep all plumbing fixtures and appliances in the dwelling unit or used by the tenant as clean as the condition of each such fixture or appliance permits; (e) use all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air conditioning and other facilities and appliances, including elevators, in the premises in a reasonable manner; (f) not wilfully or negligently destroy, deface, damage, impair or remove any part of the premises or permit any other person to do so; (g) conduct himself and require other persons on the premises with his consent to conduct themselves in a manner that will not disturb his neighbors' peaceful enjoyment of the premises or constitute a nuisance, as defined in section 47a-32, or a serious nuisance, as defined in section 47a-15; and (h) if judgment has entered against a member of the tenant's household pursuant to subsection (c) of section 47a-26h for serious nuisance by using the premises for the illegal sale of drugs, not permit such person to resume occupancy of the dwelling unit, except with the consent of the landlord.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-11, Connecticut law sets out a list of baseline responsibilities that tenants must meet during their tenancy. These include keeping occupied spaces clean and safe, properly disposing of waste, maintaining plumbing fixtures and appliances, using building systems reasonably, and refraining from willful or negligent damage to the property. The statute also requires tenants to avoid disturbing neighbors' peaceful enjoyment and, in certain drug-related nuisance situations, to bar a household member from returning without the landlord's consent.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-11 establishes tenant obligations that run parallel to a landlord's own duties under Connecticut law, and property owners and managers generally document the condition of units at move-in and move-out to establish a baseline against which tenant-caused damage or code violations can be measured. Compliant operators typically provide designated waste disposal areas as referenced in the statute, since tenants are required to use those locations for garbage and rubbish removal. When a tenant's conduct rises to the level of a nuisance or serious nuisance as defined in related statutes, or when a court has entered judgment against a household member for drug-related serious nuisance under § 47a-26h, landlords should be aware that § 47a-11 independently obligates the tenant to prevent that person from resuming occupancy without the landlord's consent.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-11 outlines the affirmative responsibilities Connecticut tenants carry during a tenancy, covering cleanliness, waste disposal, care of fixtures and appliances, reasonable use of building systems, and conduct toward neighbors. Tenants who believe a landlord is attempting to hold them responsible for conditions that existed before their occupancy or that resulted from the landlord's own failure to maintain the premises may find that the statute's language—tying obligations to what "the condition of the premises permit"—is relevant context. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help individuals understand how § 47a-11 interacts with landlord obligations and what options exist if a dispute arises over alleged violations.
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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