How to Evict a Tenant in Connecticut (2026)
The legal steps for landlords in Connecticut — the notice, the court case, costs, timeline and the mistakes that get cases thrown out — with the statute or official page behind each step.
Short answer: In Connecticut a landlord must give the required written notice, file an eviction case in court if the tenant doesn't pay or leave, win a judgment, and have a sheriff or other officer carry out the removal. Changing the locks or removing belongings yourself is not allowed.
Step 1: Have a legal reason and give the right notice
| Unpaid rent | Rent is not 'unpaid' for eviction purposes until a 9-day grace period passes (4 days for week-to-week). Landlord then serves a written Notice to Quit giving at least 3 days before the quit date. From Jan. 1, 2026, the grace period is extended 5 more days if the landlord's online payment system prevented on-time payment. |
|---|---|
| Lease violation | Written notice specifying the breach and terminating the lease on a date at least 15 days after receipt; if the breach can be fixed by repair or paying damages and the tenant does so within 15 days, the lease does not terminate. A repeat of substantially the same breach within 6 months allows termination without another cure chance. No cure notice is required for nonpayment, serious nuisance, or a § 47a-11(h) violation. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15 |
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no fault) | Landlord: Notice to Quit for lapse of time served at least 3 days before the quit date (quit date should coincide with the end of a rental period). Tenant: no statutory notice period found. |
Local rent-control or just-cause rules can limit evictions: No statewide rent control or rent cap. Towns may create Fair Rent Commissions, which can rule that a rent or increase is excessive. P.A. 22-30 required specified larger towns to have a commission by July 1, 2023.
Step 2: Write and deliver the notice correctly
| What the notice must say | Rent must first be unpaid for the 9-day grace period (4 days for a week-to-week tenancy). The grace period is extended 5 days if the landlord's online payment system blocked payment (from Jan. 1, 2026). The landlord then uses a written Notice to Quit, substantially in the statutory form. It must name each tenant and occupant (unknown occupants may be named 'John Doe' or 'Jane Doe'), give the full address including apartment number, set a quit date at least 3 days after service, and state the reason in the statutory words ('nonpayment of rent') or similar wording. It must also show the date and place of signing and be signed by the owner or lessor, or their legal representative or attorney. The landlord must attach the Connecticut right-to-counsel notice. An attested copy must be served by a proper officer, such as a state marshal, on each tenant and occupant or left at their home; service may be made any day of the week. For a month-to-month tenancy, the notice ends the tenancy upon delivery. |
|---|---|
| How it must be delivered | A notice to quit must be in the statutory written form. For residential tenancies, an attested copy must be served by a proper officer (such as a state marshal) on each lessee or occupant, or left at their residence. Service may be made on any day of the week. Before P.A. 25-78, an 'indifferent person' could also deliver it. Other notices under Chapter 830 (for example, the 45-day rent increase notice) must be written, but no delivery method is specified. No statute authorizes email or text delivery of a notice to quit. |
Notice forms:
- Connecticut notice to pay rent or quit — requirements and free draft
- Connecticut notice to end a month-to-month tenancy — requirements and free draft
- Notice to Quit (End) Possession, JD-HM-7 (Rev. 10-25), Connecticut Judicial Branch (official)
- Summary Process (Eviction) Complaint, Nonpayment of Rent, JD-HM-8; Lapse of Time, JD-HM-20; other housing forms (Judicial Branch Housing webforms list) (official)
Step 3: File the eviction case and go to the hearing
Eviction cases in Connecticut are heard in: Superior Court (Housing Session in Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Stamford-Norwalk; otherwise the geographical area court).
- Notice to Quit on the statutory form, served by a state marshal or indifferent person, at least 3 days before the quit date (after the 9-day grace period for nonpayment; after a 15-day cure notice for most lease violations), with the right-to-counsel notice attached
- If tenant stays, writ, summons and complaint served; return day up to 6 days after service
- Tenant files an Appearance within 2 days after the return day; housing mediation, then trial
- Judgment for possession (default judgment if no appearance)
- Automatic 5-day stay of execution (excluding Sundays and legal holidays); tenant may apply for a stay of up to 6 months (3 months for nonpayment, only on depositing the full arrearage)
- Summary process execution; state marshal gives at least 24 hours' notice and removes the tenant; possessions go to town storage (auction after 15 days)
Court timing: Appearance due within 2 days after the return day; if appearance but no pleading within 2 days after return day, landlord may move for default and tenant has 3 days to respond.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-23, 47a-23a, 47a-26, 47a-26a, 47a-35, 47a-37 to 47a-39, 47a-42
How long it takes to evict a tenant in Connecticut
For unpaid rent, the notice period is 3 days; after that comes the court process (filing, service, the tenant's answer and a hearing), then the final order and removal by an officer. Uncontested cases move fastest; a contested case, an appeal or a crowded court adds weeks. See how long evictions take in every state.
Evicting someone without a lease (family member, roommate, guest or squatter)
| Someone with no written lease who pays rent (month-to-month / at will) | Landlord: Notice to Quit for lapse of time served at least 3 days before the quit date (quit date should coincide with the end of a rental period). Tenant: no statutory notice period found. |
|---|---|
| Someone who was never a tenant (squatter / unauthorized occupant) | No separate squatter-removal statute. An owner removes someone who never had a right or privilege to occupy the premises through the regular eviction (summary process) route: a written notice to quit served by a proper officer at least 3 days before the quit date, then a summary process action. The occupant can be named as 'John Doe' or 'Jane Doe' if their name is unknown. After judgment, a state marshal carries out the eviction. Anyone who stays after the marshal's eviction time and refuses to leave when directed may be arrested for first-degree criminal trespass (§ 53a-107). |
Mistakes that get eviction cases dismissed — or get landlords sued
| Changing locks / shutting off utilities | Self-help eviction is illegal. Civil: 'entry and detainer' complaint to a Superior Court judge for being ousted, held out, or having property removed or detained; double damages plus costs. Criminal: landlord who, without a court order, deprives a tenant of access to the unit or possessions commits criminal lockout, a class C misdemeanor. Loss of landlord-supplied essential services is remedied under § 47a-13. |
|---|---|
| Retaliation | Landlord may not sue for possession, raise rent, or reduce services within 6 months after the tenant in good faith: tries to remedy a code violation (including contacting officials or filing a fair rent commission complaint); triggers a municipal notice or order; requests repairs; files a § 47a-14h action; or organizes or joins a tenants' union. Exceptions include nonpayment, lease violations, and good-faith owner occupancy. |
| Accepting rent after the notice | Yes. If the landlord accepts rent knowing it is overdue, the landlord waives the right to end the lease for the tenant's failure to pay that rent on time. Court annotations say that merely holding a money order sent after a notice to quit, without endorsing or cashing it, was not acceptance. In court, the landlord may get an order for use-and-occupancy payments while the eviction case is pending. |
Federal rules that can change the process
- Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: eviction protection: A landlord may not evict a covered servicemember or their family during military service without a court order. When the servicemember's ability to pay is materially affected by service, the court must on request stay the case for 90 days or adjust the lease. Knowingly evicting without a court order is a federal misdemeanor. More
- VAWA housing protections: An applicant or tenant cannot be denied, evicted or cut off from assistance because they are or were a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking. The abuse cannot be treated as a serious lease violation by the victim. The landlord may 'bifurcate' (split) the lease to evict the abuser and keep the victim housed. Covered programs must also have an emergency transfer plan. A transfer is available on request if the tenant reasonably fears imminent harm, or if a sexual assault happened on the premises within the prior 90 days. More
- CARES Act 30-day notice to vacate (covered dwellings): The landlord of a covered dwelling may not require the tenant to leave until 30 days after giving a notice to vacate. The 120-day filing moratorium in the same section expired in July 2020, but the 30-day notice subsection has no expiration date in its text. More
- HUD 30-day nonpayment notice (public housing and project-based Section 8): Before filing an eviction for nonpayment, the landlord must give written notice at least 30 days in advance. The notice must itemize the rent owed by month, explain how to pay it off and by what date, and explain how to recertify income or request a hardship exemption. The notice cannot be served before the day after rent is due. If the tenant pays the amount owed within the 30 days, the landlord may not file the eviction. More
Connecticut eviction FAQ for landlords
How much notice does a landlord have to give to evict for unpaid rent in Connecticut?
Rent is not 'unpaid' for eviction purposes until a 9-day grace period passes (4 days for week-to-week). Landlord then serves a written Notice to Quit giving at least 3 days before the quit date. From Jan. 1, 2026, the grace period is extended 5 more days if the landlord's online payment system prevented on-time payment.
Can a landlord change the locks to evict a tenant in Connecticut?
Self-help eviction is illegal. Civil: 'entry and detainer' complaint to a Superior Court judge for being ousted, held out, or having property removed or detained; double damages plus costs. Criminal: landlord who, without a court order, deprives a tenant of access to the unit or possessions commits criminal lockout, a class C misdemeanor. Loss of landlord-supplied essential services is remedied under § 47a-13.
How do you evict a tenant without a lease in Connecticut?
Landlord: Notice to Quit for lapse of time served at least 3 days before the quit date (quit date should coincide with the end of a rental period). Tenant: no statutory notice period found.
← All Connecticut landlord-tenant rules · Notice deadline calculator
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.