Connecticut security deposit law: know your rights.
Your forwarding address can change the return date. Keep proof of when the landlord received it, as well as when the tenancy ended.
Your deposit rights in Connecticut
- Deposit limit
- Two months' rent; one month if a tenant is 62 or older.
- Return timing
- The deposit and interest, less lawful deductions, must be returned within 21 days after termination of the tenancy or 15 days after receipt of the tenant's forwarding address in writing, whichever is later.
- Accounting for deductions
- Any withholding for damages requires a written statement itemizing the nature and amount of the damages, delivered within the deadline.
- Deposit interest
- Annual interest at the deposit index rate set by the Banking Commissioner, paid or credited each year and returned with the deposit (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(i)).
The local guide rules linked here were checked 2026-09-14. Review dates refer to the cited rules, not an attorney review of your case.
Does this rule apply to your rental?
The residential deposit rules cover collection, escrow, interest and return. Age changes the deposit cap. A written forwarding address is essential to establish the return timing, even if the landlord already knows how to contact you.
Connecticut Department of Banking: rental security deposits ↗What starts the return clock?
The deposit and interest, less lawful deductions, must be returned within 21 days after termination of the tenancy or 15 days after receipt of the tenant's forwarding address in writing, whichever is later.
Dates in practice
Example: the tenancy ends September 1, 2026 and the landlord receives your forwarding address in writing on September 15. The two calendar references are September 22 and September 30. Use the later date, September 30, when reviewing the return and itemization.
Check your return timing
Use your dates to see the relevant calendar references. The questions below account for the start conditions described above. You can start the free analysis without completing this check.
Check what the landlord deducted
Use the charge, the applicable rule and your records together. Start with the items you actually dispute.
Repair or cleaning claim
A damages statement must identify the nature and amount of the claimed damages. A single unexplained total makes the charge difficult to check.
Records to check: Match each item to dated photos, inspection notes and the condition you recorded at move-in.
Rent or utilities
The damages notice can include unpaid rent or utility payments. Verify the balance against actual payments and the rental period.
Records to check: Use the ledger, bills and payment confirmations, including any rent after the stated end date.
Missing deposit interest
Interest is a separate part of the accounting. Check annual credits and the applicable rate; late-rent months have special rules.
Records to check: Keep the deposit receipt, annual statements and records of rent payments or late charges.
What could you recover?
A violating landlord is 'liable for twice the amount of any security deposit paid' (§ 47a-21(d)) - the base is the full deposit, and the small-claims $5,000 cap does not block the doubled recovery (per CT Judicial Branch). Knowing and wilful interest violations also carry fines up to $100 per offense; the Banking Commissioner investigates complaints.
Start with the unpaid amount you dispute. Any additional statutory recovery depends on the conditions in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)(2), including applicable notice requirements. A multiplier that already includes the deposit should not be added to that deposit again.
Connecticut Department of Banking: rental security deposits ↗Example: a refund claim after an itemized response
Fictional Connecticut example, assuming the law applies. This example does not assume a missed return deadline.
- Deposit paid
- $2,000
- Already returned
- $900
- Charges accepted
- $200
- Charges disputed
- $900
- Additional statutory return
- $0
- Additional statutory damages
- $0
- Amount requested before court costs
- $900
The current demand includes the disputed refund. Additional statutory recovery requires the conditions below; it is not automatically earned by a missed date. Court costs and any attorney fees need their own legal basis and award; collecting a judgment is a separate step.
Read this example in the sample case ↗Put the rules to work
See how the rules fit your deposit dispute
Free analysis
Add the refund, charges and records. Review the deductions and possible remedies with an explanation tied to your facts.
Full case package $29-$49
Turn your case into a demand letter, organized exhibits and a next-step plan. Review the analysis before deciding to buy.
Your entered dates and deposit amount carry forward. Additional timing details are saved in case notes. The next step asks for the refund and charges so you can build on this check.
Choose your next step
Small-claims limit: $5,000. Filing: $95 (added to judgment if the tenant wins). The court guide explains the applicable limits and additional costs.
Questions about Connecticut deposit rights
How long does a Connecticut landlord have to return a security deposit?
The deposit and interest, less lawful deductions, must be returned within 21 days after termination of the tenancy or 15 days after receipt of the tenant's forwarding address in writing, whichever is later.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 ↗See the timing rules →What happens if my landlord does not follow the deposit return rules in Connecticut?
Failure to return the balance or provide the itemized statement in time makes the landlord liable for twice the amount of the security deposit; interest-only violations carry twice the accrued interest (minimum $10). Keep proof of the dates, any refund, and the itemized statement.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 ↗Understand the possible recovery →Does giving my forwarding address verbally start the Connecticut address clock?
Use written notice and keep a receipt or delivery record. The Department of Banking ties the address exception to receipt of a forwarding address in writing.
Department of Banking: return timing ↗Do late rent payments affect deposit interest?
The Department of Banking explains that interest can be forfeited for months when rent is more than ten days late, except when the landlord imposes a late charge agreed in the lease. Check your payment history before adding interest.
Department of Banking: late rent and interest ↗Can I ask an agency to review a Connecticut deposit complaint?
The Department of Banking accepts rental security deposit complaints. Keep the lease, payment records, damages notice and your written forwarding-address notice for the complaint.
Submit a deposit complaint ↗