Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a § 47a-26b

Motion and order for payments for use and occupancy.

In Force
Verified 9/17/2026 · Next check 9/24/2026
effective 9/17/2026ConnecticutSummary Process

Operative Text

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a § 47a-26b
(a) If the defendant appears, the court shall, upon motion and without hearing, unless the defendant files an objection within five days of the filing of the motion, order the defendant to deposit with the court within ten days of the filing of the motion payments for use and occupancy in an amount equal to the last agreed-upon rent or, in the absence of a prior agreed-upon rent, in an amount equal to the fair rental value of the premises during the pendency of such action accruing from the date of such order. If the motion is served upon the defendant with the complaint, the motion shall be deemed for purposes of this section to have been filed on the date on which the defendant appears. If all or a portion of the defendant's rent is being paid to the plaintiff by a housing authority, municipality, state agency or similar entity, this requirement shall be satisfied if the defendant deposits with the court an amount equal to his portion of the last agreed-upon rent. The motion for use and occupancy payments shall include a statement of the amount of the last agreed-upon rent. The motion shall be filed on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator and shall contain, in clear and simple language, a notice advising the defendant that, if the defendant files an objection within five days of the date the motion was filed, the court will conduct a hearing on the motion prior to entering an order, but, if the defendant does not file an objection during such time period, the court will order use and occupancy payments without a hearing. The form shall also contain a place for the defendant to claim an objection to the motion and notice that the defendant may file an objection at any time. The filing by the plaintiff of a motion for use and occupancy payments shall not suspend the time limits for pleading under section 47a-26a.

(b) Notice to the defendant of an order for use and occupancy payments shall be given on a form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator. Such form shall state in clear and simple language and in readable format (1) the amount to be paid, (2) the date by which such payment must be received by the clerk, and (3) the consequences of failure to make payment as ordered.

(c) If the defendant files an objection to the motion, a hearing on the objection shall be held not more than seven days after such objection is filed, after which the court shall order the defendant to deposit with the court payments for use and occupancy in an amount equal to the fair rental value of the premises during the pendency of such action accruing from the date of such order. If all or a portion of the defendant's rent is being paid to the plaintiff by a housing authority, municipality, state agency or similar entity, this requirement shall be satisfied if the defendant deposits with the court an amount equal to his portion of the fair rental value of the premises. The last agreed-upon rent shall be prima facie evidence of the fair rental value of the premises. The party claiming a different amount shall have the burden of proving that the last agreed-upon rent is not the fair rental value. Such order shall permit the payment of such amounts in monthly installments, as such amounts become due. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude either party from subsequently moving to modify the amount of the payment order for cause shown.

(d) If the defendant fails to make such payments as ordered, the clerk shall, immediately and without the filing of a motion, order the defendant to file his answer and, if the defendant fails to do so within four days of the mailing of such order, judgment shall forthwith be entered for the plaintiff. If the defendant files an answer within such four-day period, the clerk shall set such matter down for hearing not less than three nor more than seven days after such answer and reply, if any, are filed.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-26b, when a landlord files a motion during an eviction proceeding, a court may order the tenant (defendant) to deposit ongoing payments for use and occupancy with the court clerk—generally equal to the last agreed-upon rent—while the case is pending. If the tenant does not object within five days, the court issues the order without a hearing; if the tenant does object, a hearing must be held within seven days. Failure to comply with the court's payment order can result in an expedited judgment against the tenant.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 17, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-26b gives property owners a procedural tool to seek court-ordered use-and-occupancy deposits from a tenant during a pending eviction action. A compliant operator files the motion on the form prescribed by the Office of the Chief Court Administrator, includes a clear statement of the last agreed-upon rent, and serves the motion on the defendant along with the complaint when possible. Landlords whose tenants receive housing-authority or similar rental assistance should note that the statute allows the tenant's deposit obligation to be limited to the tenant's own share of the rent.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-26b establishes that a tenant who receives a motion for use-and-occupancy payments has five days to file a written objection, which triggers a court hearing before any order is entered. If no objection is filed, the court will order payments without a hearing, and missing those court-ordered payments can lead to a rapid judgment against the tenant. Tenants who believe the amount requested does not reflect the fair rental value, or who have other concerns about the motion, may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand the objection process and 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.

Effective Timeline

Current
Sep 17, 2026
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Related Rules

§ 1
Persons entitled to summary process
§ 3
Judgment and execution; costs; appeal
§ 5
Appeal; bond; actions thereon; waiver; appeal of waiver or periodic payments; notice of decision

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