Free Legal Help for Tenants and Landlords in Connecticut

Legal aid organizations, right-to-counsel programs and official court self-help resources in Connecticut, gathered from the state, county and city pages on this site.

Right to a free lawyer in eviction cases

Statewide: Yes, a statewide right-to-counsel program, limited by available funding. Income-eligible tenants and occupants get free legal representation in matters started on or after July 1, 2021: notices to quit, eviction cases, and administrative proceedings to keep a housing subsidy or stop a lease termination. Income-eligible means household income at or below 80% of state median income, or receiving TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, refugee resettlement benefits, state rental assistance, or a Housing Choice Voucher. The program is phased in by priority criteria and funding. It does not create a right a tenant can enforce against the providers. Since October 1, 2021, landlords must attach the Judicial Branch's one-page right-to-counsel notice to every notice to quit, eviction summons and complaint, subsidized-housing lease termination notice, and subsidy termination notice. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-75

• Hartford: Through the statewide Connecticut Right to Counsel program (CT-RTC) for income-eligible tenants; call 1-800-559-1565 or visit evictionhelpct.org to check eligibility. Source
• New Haven: Through the statewide Connecticut Right to Counsel program (CT-RTC) for income-eligible tenants; call 1-800-559-1565 or visit evictionhelpct.org. Source

Find a tenant or eviction lawyer in Connecticut

If you do not qualify for free legal aid, a bar lawyer referral service can match you with a landlord-tenant lawyer for a low-cost first consultation.

• Connecticut Bar Association - Find a Lawyer CT — (860) 223-4400 (CBA Member Service Center, general line)

Official court and state resources

• CT General Statutes Title 47a (Landlord and Tenant)
• CT General Statutes 2026 Supplement, Ch. 830 (recent amendments)
• CT Judicial Branch: Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants (JDP-HM-31)

Legal aid groups set their own eligibility rules (usually income-based). Call ahead or check their site.

← Connecticut landlord-tenant law · Legal help in other states

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.