How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Connecticut?

2 months' rent — That is the limit for tenants under 62; for tenants 62 or older the ceiling is one month's rent. A mobile manufactured home park rental agreement may not charge more than one month's rent as a security deposit at any age (Conn. Gen. Stat. 21-83(a)(6)). Prepaid last month's rent and refundable pet deposits count toward the limit.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Connecticut?

21 days. That deadline has a second prong. The deposit is due not later than 21 days after termination of the tenancy OR 15 days after the landlord receives written notification of the tenant's forwarding address, WHICHEVER IS LATER (47a-21(d)(2)).

What happens if a landlord does not return the deposit on time in Connecticut?

A landlord who violates the return or itemization duties owes twice the amount of the security deposit PAID by the tenant, not merely twice the sum withheld (47a-21(d)(2)). If the only violation is unpaid accrued interest, liability is $10 or twice that interest, whichever is greater.

Do landlords have to pay interest on security deposits in Connecticut?

Yes — Connecticut requires interest on the security deposit to be paid to the tenant. Interest accrues at not less than the annual 'deposit index' defined in Conn. Gen. Stat. 36a-26 — 0.49% for calendar 2026. It must be paid to the tenant or credited toward rent on each anniversary of the tenancy, and accrued interest must be paid within 21 days of termination (47a-21(i)).

Can a landlord charge a non-refundable fee in Connecticut?

No — non-refundable fees are not allowed in Connecticut.

What are the security deposit rules in Connecticut?

Verified October 1, 2026 All Connecticut topics →

Check your municipality. Connecticut does not preempt local rent regulation — city or county ordinances may impose rent caps, notice periods, and fee limits that are stricter than the state law on this page. Verify your municipality's ordinances before relying on any figure below. Verified local pages: Connecticut municipalities, Stamford.

What the state record says

Connecticut has no statewide rent cap or stabilization formula. It instead mandates local rent oversight: every municipality of 15,000 or more must maintain a fair rent commission, and those commissions can roll a rent back to a fair and equitable level when it is harsh and unconscionable. The mandate is Conn. Gen. Stat. 7-148b, as amended by Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 25-1, eff. 2026-01-01: every municipality with a population of 15,000 or more MUST maintain a fair rent commission (or join a joint or regional one), and any smaller municipality MAY create one. Commissions receive complaints about rents and 'rental charges' (including any fee on top of rent), and may roll a rent back to a fair and equitable level if, weighing the 13 factors in 7-148c (comparable rents, condition, services, repairs, taxes and debt service, code compliance, tenant income, amount and frequency of increases, reinvestment), it is 'so excessive ... as to be harsh and unconscionable' (7-148c, 7-148d). They can also suspend rent into escrow for health/safety violations and order landlords to stop retaliating against complainants; violations of commission orders draw fines of $25-$100 per offense, with each day beyond five a fresh offense (7-148d, 7-148f). Every municipality required to have a commission must adopt the ordinance on or before January 1, 2028, and a required municipality that created a commission before 2026 may not abolish it before then unless it joins a joint or regional commission (7-148b(c)). The original mandate (25,000+, deadline July 1, 2023) came from P.A. 22-30. Separately, using rent-setting algorithms that compute on nonpublic competitor data is an unlawful practice under the Connecticut Antitrust Act (chapter 624) as of January 1, 2026 (47a-4f).

Connecticut caps residential security deposits at two months' rent — one month's rent if the tenant is 62 or older, and one month's rent under a mobile home park rental agreement — and requires the deposit to be returned within 21 days after the tenancy ends or 15 days after the landlord receives the tenant's forwarding address in writing, whichever is later.

Cited to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 (a)(11), (b), (d), (h), (i), (j), (k) and 7 more cited sources · Verified October 1, 2026

Anything paid in advance except the first month's rent or a deposit for a key or special equipment counts as part of the deposit, so prepaid last month's rent and pet deposits all fit under the cap, and a tenant who turns 62 can demand the excess over one month back. Deposits must sit in a Connecticut escrow account disclosed to the tenant and earn interest at the state's annual deposit index (0.49% for 2026), paid or credited every year on the tenancy's anniversary. A landlord who withholds for damages must send an itemized written statement within the same deadline, and a landlord who blows the deadline owes twice the entire deposit — plus possible criminal fines and, since October 1, 2026, a civil penalty of up to $100,000 per violation that the Banking Commissioner may order. The 21-day deadline dates from October 2023; older sources still saying 30 days are out of date. Move-in and move-out fees are banned outright, and the only up-front charges the law allows are the deposit, the first month's rent, a key or special-equipment deposit, and a capped tenant-screening fee (§ 47a-4d, since October 2023).

Connecticut security deposits at a glance

Maximum deposit	2 months' rent — That is the limit for tenants under 62; for tenants 62 or older the ceiling is one month's rent. A mobile manufactured home park rental agreement may not charge more than one month's rent as a security deposit at any age (Conn. Gen. Stat. 21-83(a)(6)). Prepaid last month's rent and refundable pet deposits count toward the limit. A tenant who turns 62 mid-tenancy may demand refund of any portion of an existing deposit exceeding one month's rent (Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-21(b)). 'Security deposit' is defined broadly as ANY advance rental payment except the first month's rent and key/special-equipment deposits (47a-21(a)(11)), which is why prepaid last month's rent and refundable pet deposits all count toward the cap.
Return deadline	21 days
Deadline conditions	That deadline has a second prong. The deposit is due not later than 21 days after termination of the tenancy OR 15 days after the landlord receives written notification of the tenant's forwarding address, WHICHEVER IS LATER (47a-21(d)(2)). The deadline was cut from 30 to 21 days by PA 23-207 §§38-39, effective October 1, 2023 — pre-2023 sources citing 30 days are stale. Delivery must be to the tenant's forwarding address; case law denies the double-damages penalty to tenants who never provided one (80 Conn. App. 155).
Itemization required	Yes
Itemization rules	A landlord who deducts damages must deliver, within the same deadline, the balance of the deposit plus accrued interest 'together with a written statement itemizing the nature and amount of such damages' (47a-21(d)(2)). Deductions are limited to the tenant's obligations: unpaid rent or utilities due the landlord, breach of the tenant duties in 47a-11, and unpaid lock-change costs under 47a-7b (47a-21(a)(14)).
Separate account required	Yes
Interest owed to tenant	Yes
Account & interest rules	Interest accrues at not less than the annual 'deposit index' defined in Conn. Gen. Stat. 36a-26 — 0.49% for calendar 2026. It must be paid to the tenant or credited toward rent on each anniversary of the tenancy, and accrued interest must be paid within 21 days of termination (47a-21(i)). Deposits must be held in one or more escrow accounts at a financial institution located in Connecticut, with written notice to the tenant of the amount held and the institution's name and address within 30 days of receipt or transfer (47a-21(h)). The deposit index is the average of FDIC-published national savings/money-market rates, set by the Banking Commissioner: 0.49% for 2026, 0.52% in 2025, 0.55% in 2024. A tenant forfeits interest for any month in which rent was more than 10 days delinquent — UNLESS the landlord imposed a late charge for that delinquency (the landlord cannot take both). Landlords may not raise rent to offset the interest duty. Student housing owned by educational institutions is exempt from the interest duty.
Pet deposits	A pet deposit counts inside the general deposit cap and has no figure of its own. The pet-deposit rule, pet rent and fees, and the assistance-animal rules are on the pets and assistance animals page.
Non-refundable fees allowed	No
Penalty for violation	A landlord who violates the return or itemization duties owes twice the amount of the security deposit PAID by the tenant, not merely twice the sum withheld (47a-21(d)(2)). If the only violation is unpaid accrued interest, liability is $10 or twice that interest, whichever is greater. Criminal exposure: up to $250 fine for knowing and wilful failure to return (good-faith-deduction affirmative defense); up to $500 and/or 30 days in jail per offense for wilful escrow violations (affirmative defense for landlords with fewer than four deposit-paying tenants); up to $100 for wilful interest violations (47a-21(k)). The Banking Commissioner investigates complaints about the cap, return, escrow and interest duties, except good-faith damage disputes and annual-interest nonpayment (47a-21(j)). Since October 1, 2026 (P.A. 26-79, § 3), a commissioner who finds a violation within that jurisdiction may, under §§ 36a-50 and 36a-52, order the landlord to pay a civil penalty as well as to stop and comply; § 36a-50 caps the penalty at $100,000 per violation, imposed after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
Tenant forwarding-address duty	Upon termination, the tenant 'may notify the landlord in writing' of a forwarding address (47a-21(d)(2)); the 15-day prong of the return clock runs from the landlord's receipt of that written notification, and the statutory penalty presupposes a forwarding address — a tenant who never supplies one cannot collect double damages (80 Conn. App. 155). No statute lets the tenant apply the deposit to last month's rent; prepaid last month's rent is itself part of the deposit.

Cite this page: "Landlord Atlas, Connecticut Security Deposit Laws (verified October 1, 2026), landlordatlas.com/laws/security-deposits/connecticut/" — free to cite and quote with a link (how these records are verified). Everything above is cited in the citations section below.

Generate a Connecticut security-deposit return letter — free, no signup, built on the same verified Connecticut law as this page.

Editable Connecticut deposit kit — the deposit disposition letter, the move-in receipt with the custody and interest statements, a deposits-held register with the return deadline computed, and the rules fact sheet built on the verified Connecticut rules on this page, in Word, fillable PDF and Excel.

Notes and caveats

21 days since October 2023 — '30 days' is stale — P.A. 23-207 §§38-39 cut the return deadline from 30 to 21 days effective October 1, 2023. Pre-2023 sources still citing 30 days are out of date.
The deadline has a second prong most summaries omit — the deposit is due 21 days after the tenancy ends OR 15 days after the landlord receives the tenant's forwarding address in writing, whichever is LATER — most secondary sources drop the forwarding-address prong entirely.
Twice the deposit PAID, not twice the amount withheld — sources saying the penalty is 'twice the amount withheld' misstate 47a-21(d)(2) — the statute doubles the entire deposit the tenant paid.
Interest is a floating index — fixed-rate figures are stale — the 1.5% floor was removed effective 2012 (P.A. 11-94/12-96), and ancient 4%/5.25% figures still circulate. The current rule is the annual deposit index — 0.49% for 2026.
The interest-forfeiture / late-charge interplay — many summaries miss this piece of 47a-21(i): a tenant more than 10 days delinquent forfeits that month's deposit interest only if the landlord did not impose a late charge — the landlord cannot take both.
Since October 1, 2026: Banking Commissioner civil penalties — P.A. 26-79 § 3 lets the Banking Commissioner, on finding a violation of the deposit cap, return, escrow or interest rules within the commissioner's jurisdiction, order the landlord to pay a civil penalty under § 36a-50, up to $100,000 per violation, in addition to an order to stop and comply (47a-21(j)(1)). Good-faith damage disputes and a missed annual interest payment remain outside the commissioner's jurisdiction (47a-21(j)(2)).
Escrow violations carry criminal penalties — the escrow duty in 47a-21(h) is backed by criminal penalties: a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, for each knowing and wilful violation (47a-21(k)(2)).
The 2-month cap drops to one month at age 62 — the headline two-month figure is the general cap; tenants 62 or older are capped at one month's rent (see the conditions above for the mid-tenancy refund right).
Move-in and move-out fees are banned outright — Since October 1, 2023, § 47a-4d(b) (P.A. 23-207, § 6) says flatly that no landlord may charge a tenant a move-in or move-out fee, and bars demanding any other payment before or at the beginning of the tenancy except a § 47a-21 security deposit, advance payment of the first month's rent, a deposit for a key or special equipment, or a capped tenant-screening-report fee. The screening-fee cap is $50 plus an annual consumer-price-index adjustment set by the Commissioner of Housing (§ 47a-4d(c)). Since May 26, 2026 (P.A. 26-68, § 59), the application-fee bar and the screening-fee rules also bind third parties acting on behalf of a landlord or of the state (the move-in/move-out sentence itself still names only the landlord). Beyond § 47a-4d, the broad 'any advance rental payment' definition in 47a-21 pulls most other up-front money into the refundable-deposit scheme however it is labeled, and 47a-7d (2025) forces periodic fees into the advertised rent, apart from the few kinds it lets a landlord leave out (47a-7d(a)-(b)).
A pre-occupancy walk-through checklist blocks the deduction later — Since January 1, 2024 a landlord must offer the tenant the chance to walk through the unit before the tenant moves in, using the standardized pre-occupancy walk-through checklist the Commissioner of Housing publishes. If the walk-through happens, both sides note the existing conditions, defects and damage, sign duplicate copies and each keep one. A condition written on that checklist is then off limits: the landlord may not keep any part of the security deposit for it and may not bill the tenant for it (§ 47a-7c(a)-(b)). The checklist is evidence of the unit's condition at move-in, though not conclusive evidence, and the section does not reach a tenancy under a rental agreement entered into before January 1, 2024.

Common questions: Connecticut security deposits

Each answer is the verified value from the table above, restated as a direct answer. Free to quote with a link to this page.

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Connecticut?: 2 months' rent — That is the limit for tenants under 62; for tenants 62 or older the ceiling is one month's rent. A mobile manufactured home park rental agreement may not charge more than one month's rent as a security deposit at any age (Conn. Gen. Stat. 21-83(a)(6)). Prepaid last month's rent and refundable pet deposits count toward the limit.
How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Connecticut?: 21 days. That deadline has a second prong. The deposit is due not later than 21 days after termination of the tenancy OR 15 days after the landlord receives written notification of the tenant's forwarding address, WHICHEVER IS LATER (47a-21(d)(2)).
What happens if a landlord does not return the deposit on time in Connecticut?: A landlord who violates the return or itemization duties owes twice the amount of the security deposit PAID by the tenant, not merely twice the sum withheld (47a-21(d)(2)). If the only violation is unpaid accrued interest, liability is $10 or twice that interest, whichever is greater.
Do landlords have to pay interest on security deposits in Connecticut?: Yes — Connecticut requires interest on the security deposit to be paid to the tenant. Interest accrues at not less than the annual 'deposit index' defined in Conn. Gen. Stat. 36a-26 — 0.49% for calendar 2026. It must be paid to the tenant or credited toward rent on each anniversary of the tenancy, and accrued interest must be paid within 21 days of termination (47a-21(i)).
Can a landlord charge a non-refundable fee in Connecticut?: No — non-refundable fees are not allowed in Connecticut.

Citations

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 · (a)(11), (b), (d), (h), (i), (j), (k) (verified 2026) Official source
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 (2026 Supplement text, as amended by P.A. 25-145) · (b), (d)(2), (i) (verified 2026) Official source
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-26 deposit index — CT Department of Banking, 2026 rate announcement (0.49%) (verified 2026) Official source
P.A. 23-207, §§ 38-39 (30-day deadline reduced to 21 days, eff. 2023-10-01) · Secs. 38, 39 (verified 2026) Official source
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4d (move-in/move-out fee ban and up-front-payment limits; P.A. 23-207 § 6, eff. 2023-10-01, as amended by P.A. 26-68 § 59, eff. 2026-05-26) · Sec. 59, new Sec. 47a-4d(b)-(d) (verified 2026) Official source
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7c (pre-occupancy walk-through; bar on deducting for a noted condition; P.A. 23-207 § 4) · (a), (b), (d) (verified 2026) Official source
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(j)(1), as amended by P.A. 26-79, § 3 (eff. 2026-10-01) · Sec. 3 (verified 2026) Official source
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-50 (civil penalty, not exceeding $100,000 per violation) · (a) (verified 2026) Official source

How this record was verified: Direct read of statute text on the official Connecticut General Assembly site (cga.ct.gov): chapters 830, 831, 832 and 98 downloaded in full from the current-revision pages AND from the 2026 Supplement (revised to January 1, 2026), which carries the 2025-session amendments to Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-15a, 47a-21, 47a-23 and 7-148b — the supplement text is the operative text used here. Every number that decides an answer here was read at least twice in independent documents: the 2-month/1-month deposit caps, 21-day/15-day return deadline, double-deposit penalty, deposit-index interest rule, 9-day/4-day grace periods, $5-per-day/$50/5%-of-delinquent-payment late-fee cap, and the reasonable-notice entry standard were each confirmed verbatim on the official pages; the 2025 changes (fair-rent-commission threshold 25,000 to 15,000, +5-day online-payment-outage grace extension, rent-algorithm ban) were confirmed in both the 2026 Supplement and the enrolled November Special Session Public Act 25-1 (HB 8002) PDF on cga.ct.gov; the 30-to-21-day deposit-deadline change and late-fee cap were traced to PA 23-207 sections 8, 38 and 39 (effective 2023-10-01) in the enrolled act PDF. The 2026 security-deposit interest rate (0.49% deposit index) was double-read on two official Department of Banking pages. 2026-session sweep: PA 26-79 section 3 (SB 218) read in the enrolled PDF and incorporated when it took effect on October 1, 2026; bill-status pages read for HB 5092, HB 5359, SB 257 and SB 274, all of which died at the 2026-05-06 adjournment. September 5, 2026 addendum: the decisive figures touched by the 2025-2026 enactments reviewed that day were re-read on the official host — §§ 7-148b, 47a-4d, 47a-4f, 47a-15a, 47a-21 and 47a-23 in the 2026 Supplement on cga.ct.gov, with the 2026 public acts; the earlier reads stand as recorded. September 12, 2026 addendum: the security deposit figures in § 47a-21(b), (d), (h), (i), (j) and (k), the § 47a-15a grace periods and late-charge cap, and the § 47a-16 entry standard were re-read on cga.ct.gov (the 2026 Supplement for chapters 830 and 831 and the base revision for § 47a-16); §§ 47a-7c, 47-283 to 47-293 and 1-268 were read there the same day. The earlier reads stand as recorded. October 1, 2026 addendum: the 2026 public acts that took effect that day — P.A. 26-79 § 3 (§ 47a-21(j)(1)), P.A. 26-113 § 1 (§ 47a-4), P.A. 26-11 § 15 (§ 47a-23c) and P.A. 26-77 §§ 15, 16, 26 and 27 (§§ 46a-64 and 46a-64c) — were re-read in the enrolled acts on cga.ct.gov, with § 36a-50 for the civil-penalty ceiling; the General Statutes pages do not yet print them. The same day, every section the security deposit, rent increase, late fee, entry and eviction answers rest on was read again on cga.ct.gov: chapters 98, 412, 828, 830, 831, 832, 833 and 834 in the General Statutes revised to January 1, 2025, and each section the 2026 Supplement reprints in the Supplement. That reading added § 47a-4e (P.A. 24-143, § 17), the rent-increase notice section in force since October 1, 2024, which the rent increase answers had not stated. The Practice Book (2026 edition) and the Judicial Branch's summary process publications were read on jud.ct.gov.