Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a § 47a-11b
Abandonment of unit by occupants. Landlord's remedies.
Operative Text
(a) For the purposes of this section, “abandonment” means the occupants have vacated the premises without notice to the landlord and do not intend to return, which intention may be evidenced by the removal by the occupants or their agent of substantially all of their possessions and personal effects from the premises and either (1) nonpayment of rent for more than two months or (2) an express statement by the occupants that they do not intend to occupy the premises after a specified date. (b) If all the occupants abandon the dwelling unit, the landlord may send notice to each occupant at his last-known address both by regular mail, postage prepaid, and by certified mail, return receipt requested, stating that (1) he has reason to believe that the occupant has abandoned the dwelling unit, (2) he intends to reenter and take possession of the dwelling unit unless the occupant contacts him within ten days of receipt of the notice, (3) if the occupant does not contact him, he intends to remove any possessions and personal effects remaining in the premises and to rerent the premises, and (4) if the occupant does not reclaim such possessions and personal effects within thirty days after the notice, they will be disposed of as permitted by this section. The notice shall be in clear and simple language and shall include a telephone number and a mailing address at which the landlord can be contacted. If the notices are returned as undeliverable, or the occupant fails to contact the landlord within ten days of the receipt of the notice, the landlord may reenter and take possession of the dwelling unit, at which time any rental agreement or lease still in effect shall be deemed to be terminated. (c) The landlord shall not be required to serve a notice to quit as provided in section 47a-23 and bring a summary process action as provided in section 47a-23a to obtain possession or occupancy of a dwelling unit which has been abandoned. Nothing in this section shall relieve a landlord from complying with the provisions of sections 47a-1 to 47a-20a, inclusive, and sections 47a-23 to 47a-42, inclusive, if the landlord knows, or reasonably should know, that the occupant has not abandoned the dwelling unit. (d) The landlord shall inventory any possessions and personal effects of the occupant in the premises and shall remove and keep them for not less than thirty days. The occupant may reclaim such possessions and personal effects from the landlord within said thirty-day period. If the occupant does not reclaim such possessions and personal effects by the end of said thirty-day period, the landlord may dispose of them as he deems appropriate. (e) No action shall be brought under section 47a-43 against a landlord who takes action in compliance with the provisions of this section.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-11b, Connecticut law defines "abandonment" as a tenant vacating without notice and without intent to return, evidenced by removing most belongings combined with either two-plus months of unpaid rent or an explicit statement of departure. When abandonment occurs, a landlord may follow a specific notice-and-waiting process to reclaim the unit and handle leftover property, bypassing the usual eviction court proceedings. Any remaining possessions must be inventoried and stored for at least thirty days before the landlord may dispose of them.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-11b, compliant operators who suspect abandonment send dual notices—both regular and certified mail—to the occupant's last-known address, clearly stating their intent to reenter and specifying the ten-day response window. If no contact is made, the landlord documents and inventories all remaining belongings, stores them for at least thirty days, and only then disposes of unclaimed items. Operators are careful not to invoke this provision when they have any reason to believe the occupant has not actually left, since the standard eviction process under § 47a-23 would apply in that case.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-11b provides that a landlord may only use this streamlined abandonment process when specific conditions—such as removal of substantially all belongings plus two months of unpaid rent or an explicit departure statement—are genuinely met. Tenants whose landlord wrongly treats an occupied unit as abandoned retain the full protections of Connecticut's landlord-tenant statutes, and raising a violation of those protections may be available as a defense. Tenants who believe this provision is being misapplied can contact a local tenant-rights organization or Connecticut's legal aid services to understand 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 September 17, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.