Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a § 47a-7d
Advertisement, display or offer of dwelling unit that includes amount of rent. Standardized rental terms summary form. Application of payments. Civil penalty.
Operative Text
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no landlord shall advertise, display or otherwise offer a dwelling unit for rent in an amount that excludes any fee, charge or cost that the tenant of the advertised, displayed or offered dwelling unit shall be required to pay on a periodic basis. Any fee, charge or cost that the tenant shall be required to pay on a periodic basis shall be prorated and included in the advertised, displayed or offered rent. For the purposes of this subsection, any fee, charge or cost that shall be charged to the tenant, by default, on a monthly basis shall be included in the advertised, displayed or offered rent, regardless of whether the tenant may opt out of such fee, charge or cost. (b) A landlord may advertise, display or otherwise offer a dwelling unit for rent without including the following fees and costs in the advertised, displayed or offered rent: (1) Any payment processing fee that reflects the actual cost of processing a payment, provided the landlord makes available to the tenant an alternative form of payment that does not require payment of any such payment processing fee; (2) Any fee or deposit imposed for keeping a pet in the dwelling unit; (3) The cost of any utilities that (A) are submetered pursuant to section 16-19ff, or (B) the tenant will pay directly to a utility company and that may vary from month to month; (4) A fee charged for damage to the dwelling unit that is not imposed for normal wear and tear; or (5) A separate fee charged for performing a service for the tenant, including, but not limited to, responding to a lockout or replacing a key. (c) Not later than January 1, 2026, the Department of Housing shall publish, on the department's Internet web site, a standardized rental terms summary form. Such form shall clearly summarize the key terms of a rental agreement, including, but not limited to, the term of the rental agreement, the name of the landlord, the point of contact for property management purposes, the name of each tenant and the total periodic rent determined in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section. Such summary form shall be published and provided in both English and Spanish. (d) On and after April 1, 2026, no landlord shall provide a written rental agreement to any tenant unless such rental agreement includes, as the first page of such rental agreement, a completed copy of the standardized rental terms summary form published pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. (e) All payments made by a tenant pursuant to a rental agreement shall be applied first toward the payment of rent, and then toward the payment of any other fees or charges. (f) Any landlord who violates the provisions of this section shall be liable to the tenant for a civil penalty in an amount equal to one month's rent, and the court may award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the tenant.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7d, Connecticut landlords must include all periodic fees and charges in any advertised, displayed, or offered rent amount, so that prospective tenants see the true recurring cost upfront. A limited set of costs—such as pet fees, actual payment-processing fees with a free alternative, variable utility charges, damage fees, and one-off service fees—may be excluded from the advertised figure. Starting April 1, 2026, every written rental agreement must open with a standardized summary form published by the Department of Housing, and all tenant payments must be applied to rent before any other fees or charges.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7d generally ensure that any listing or advertisement for a dwelling unit rolls all mandatory periodic fees into the stated rent figure, prorating them as needed. Compliant landlords also confirm that any fee excluded from the advertised rent falls within one of the statute's enumerated exceptions—for example, offering a no-cost payment alternative when a processing fee is charged. Beginning April 1, 2026, landlords attach the Department of Housing's standardized rental terms summary form as the first page of every written rental agreement, and they structure their payment-application practices so that rent is satisfied before other charges are collected.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7d gives Connecticut tenants the right to see an all-in periodic rent figure in any advertisement or offer, meaning hidden mandatory fees rolled out after the fact may constitute a violation. If a landlord violates this section, the statute makes them liable for a civil penalty equal to one month's rent, and a court may also award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the tenant. Tenants who believe their landlord has not complied may consider documenting the discrepancy, consulting a tenant-rights organization, or exploring available legal remedies—including raising the violation in court proceedings.
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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