Connecticut Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
Connecticut rules on mold, pests, heat & ac for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Connecticut has no mold-specific disclosure or remediation law for rentals. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7(a)(1)-(2), (b)
The rules in Connecticut
| Mold | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Connecticut has no mold-specific disclosure or remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with the tenement-house law and all building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety, and make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. Stricter local codes take precedence. Tenants may enforce the landlord's duties through a housing court action (§ 47a-14h), and a lease may not allow the landlord to collect rent for any period in which it fails to meet § 47a-7(a) (§ 47a-4a). The duty shifts to the tenant only if the tenant or the tenant's household or guests intentionally made the unit unfit. |
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| Pests & bed bugs | Connecticut has a detailed bed-bug statute. The tenant must promptly tell the landlord orally or in writing about a known or suspected infestation. Within five business days the landlord must inspect (or have a qualified inspector inspect) the unit and contiguous units it owns, and if bed bugs are found, begin effective treatment within five business days. The landlord pays for inspection and treatment; the tenant pays to prepare the unit and must cooperate, and can be liable for extra treatments caused by knowing, unreasonable noncompliance. The landlord may not rent a unit it knows or suspects is infested, must disclose current infestations in the unit or contiguous units before renting, and on request must give the date of the last clean inspection. A landlord who violates § 47a-7a is liable for reasonable attorney's fees and the greater of $250 or actual damages. The landlord must offer reasonable help to tenants physically unable to prepare and may charge a reasonable amount on a repayment schedule of up to six months. The landlord need not provide alternative lodging or replace belongings. Other pests fall under the general habitability duty. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7a |
| Heat | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat is generated by equipment in the tenant's exclusive control or supplied by a direct utility connection, and must keep heating facilities in good and safe working order. If the landlord fails to supply heat for reasons within its control, the tenant may give notice and buy heat and deduct the cost from rent, or get substitute housing if not restored within 48 hours. The landlord-tenant chapter sets no minimum indoor temperature; municipal housing codes may. In a single-family home, landlord and tenant may agree in writing that the tenant supplies heat (§ 47a-7(c)). |
| Air conditioning | No state requirement to provide air conditioning and no maximum indoor temperature. The landlord must keep any facilities and appliances it supplies in good and safe working order, and the tenant must use air conditioning and other facilities reasonably. § 47a-7(a)(4) lists heating and ventilating facilities but not air conditioning by name; whether a landlord-supplied AC unit counts as a 'facility or appliance' depends on the lease and facts. |
| Smoke and CO detectors | The state Fire Safety Code must require smoke detection and warning equipment in residential buildings designed to be occupied by one or more families, and carbon monoxide equipment in new one- and two-family homes permitted on or after October 1, 2005; no certificate of occupancy may be issued for a residential building without code-compliant smoke detection equipment. When a one- or two-family home or a common-interest unit is sold, the seller must give the buyer an affidavit that it has working smoke detectors in or near each bedroom and either carbon monoxide detectors or no CO risk. The statutes reviewed do not assign battery or testing duties between landlord and tenant. Text from the General Statutes revised to January 1, 2025; check the 2026 Supplement for changes made in 2025. |
Related questions
- Does a landlord have to fix mold?
- Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in a rental?
- Does a landlord have to provide heat?
- Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning?
Connecticut vs. neighboring states
| State | Mold | Pests & bed bugs | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Connecticut has no mold-specific disclosure or remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with the tenement-house law and all building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety, and make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. Stricter local codes take precedence. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7(a)(1)-(2), (b) | Connecticut has a detailed bed-bug statute. The tenant must promptly tell the landlord orally or in writing about a known or suspected infestation. Within five business days the landlord must inspect (or have a qualified inspector inspect) the unit and contiguous units it owns, and if bed bugs are found, begin effective treatment within five business days. The landlord pays for inspection and treatment; the tenant pays to prepare the unit and must cooperate, and can be liable for extra treatments caused by knowing, unreasonable noncompliance. The landlord may not rent a unit it knows or suspects is infested, must disclose current infestations in the unit or contiguous units before renting, and on request must give the date of the last clean inspection. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7a | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat is generated by equipment in the tenant's exclusive control or supplied by a direct utility connection, and must keep heating facilities in good and safe working order. If the landlord fails to supply heat for reasons within its control, the tenant may give notice and buy heat and deduct the cost from rent, or get substitute housing if not restored within 48 hours. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-7(a)(4), (6), 47a-13 |
| Massachusetts | Yes, under the State Sanitary Code. Owners must keep buildings and structural elements watertight and free from excess moisture or the appearance of mold. After leaks or flooding, the owner must dry all surfaces within 48 hours of being notified or of the end of the event, whichever is sooner. No room may be used for habitation if it is subject to excess moisture. Code violations are enforced by the local board of health, and any violation not otherwise listed is deemed a condition that may endanger health or safety. Occupants must use building elements with reasonable care. No statute requires mold disclosure to tenants. 105 CMR 410.500(A)(1), (B); 410.510; 410.420(A); 410.630(A)(18); 410.020 ('Chronic Dampness') | Set by the State Sanitary Code. In buildings with 2 or more units (and rooming houses), the owner must keep the building free from infestation and is responsible for extermination, including bed bugs. In single-unit residences, the occupant is responsible unless the owner failed to maintain the structure to keep pests out. Owners must inspect each unit for pests before a new tenancy and keep documented results. Occupants must keep units sanitary and give access and follow preparation instructions for pesticide treatments. Commercial applicators must give 48 hours' written pre-notification. Failure to keep premises pest-free is a condition deemed to endanger health or safety. 105 CMR 410.550; 410.630(A)(17) | Yes. The owner must heat every habitable room and bathroom from September 15 through May 31: at least 68°F from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and at least 64°F from 11:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. Temperature is measured 5 feet above the floor, more than 5 feet from an exterior wall. A local board of health may shorten the season, ending it no earlier than May 15 or starting it no later than September 30. Failure to provide required heat is a condition deemed to endanger health or safety. 105 CMR 410.180(A), (C), (D); 410.630 |
| New York | No statewide mold statute — the warranty of habitability applies. Every residential lease includes a non-waivable warranty that the premises are fit for human habitation and free of conditions dangerous, hazardous, or detrimental to life, health, or safety. N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-b | In multiple dwellings, the owner must keep the building and its lot, yards, and passages clean and free from vermin, dirt, filth, and garbage; tenants are answerable for conditions they cause. Failure to rid an apartment of an insect infestation is an example of a breach of the warranty of habitability. No statewide bed-bug disclosure statute. N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 80; N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 174; N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-b | Yes, in multiple dwellings: from October 1 through May 31, the owner must heat all living areas to at least 68°F from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. when it is below 55°F outside, and at least 55°F from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. when it is below 40°F outside. Local regulations may require higher temperatures. N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 79; N.Y. Mult. Resid. Law § 173 |
| Rhode Island | No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Rhode Island has no mold disclosure, remediation or exposure-standard law for rentals; the landlord must comply with building and housing codes affecting health and safety and 'make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable condition.' R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-22(a)(1)-(2) | Under the state Housing Maintenance and Occupancy Code, the occupant of a single-unit dwelling is responsible for extermination of insects, rodents and other pests, and an occupant in a multi-unit building is responsible when only that occupant's unit is infested. The owner is responsible when the infestation is caused by the owner's failure to keep the building rodent-proof or reasonably insect-proof, and whenever two or more units or shared/public areas are infested. No bed-bug-specific statute. R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-24.3-6(i) | Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat as required by the state housing code (or stricter local code) between October 1 and May 1. Heating facilities must be capable of heating all habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet compartments to at least 68°F, measured 18 inches above the floor, under average winter conditions. Exceptions: buildings not required to be equipped for heat, and units where the tenant controls a heating installation on a direct utility connection. R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-22(a)(6), 45-24.3-9(1) |
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Connecticut Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules FAQ
Does a landlord have to fix mold in Connecticut?
No statute — general habitability/repair duty applies. Connecticut has no mold-specific disclosure or remediation law for rentals. The landlord must comply with the tenement-house law and all building and housing codes materially affecting health and safety, and make all repairs needed to keep the premises fit and habitable. Stricter local codes take precedence. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7(a)(1)-(2), (b))
Who pays for pest control and bed bugs in Connecticut?
Connecticut has a detailed bed-bug statute. The tenant must promptly tell the landlord orally or in writing about a known or suspected infestation. Within five business days the landlord must inspect (or have a qualified inspector inspect) the unit and contiguous units it owns, and if bed bugs are found, begin effective treatment within five business days. The landlord pays for inspection and treatment; the tenant pays to prepare the unit and must cooperate, and can be liable for extra treatments caused by knowing, unreasonable noncompliance. The landlord may not rent a unit it knows or suspects is infested, must disclose current infestations in the unit or contiguous units before renting, and on request must give the date of the last clean inspection. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7a)
Does a landlord have to provide heat in Connecticut?
Yes. The landlord must supply reasonable heat, unless the building is not required by law to have heating or the heat is generated by equipment in the tenant's exclusive control or supplied by a direct utility connection, and must keep heating facilities in good and safe working order. If the landlord fails to supply heat for reasons within its control, the tenant may give notice and buy heat and deduct the cost from rent, or get substitute housing if not restored within 48 hours. (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-7(a)(4), (6), 47a-13)
Does a landlord have to provide air conditioning in Connecticut?
No state requirement to provide air conditioning and no maximum indoor temperature. The landlord must keep any facilities and appliances it supplies in good and safe working order, and the tenant must use air conditioning and other facilities reasonably. (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-7(a)(4), 47a-11(e))
Who is responsible for smoke detectors in a rental in Connecticut?
The state Fire Safety Code must require smoke detection and warning equipment in residential buildings designed to be occupied by one or more families, and carbon monoxide equipment in new one- and two-family homes permitted on or after October 1, 2005; no certificate of occupancy may be issued for a residential building without code-compliant smoke detection equipment. When a one- or two-family home or a common-interest unit is sold, the seller must give the buyer an affidavit that it has working smoke detectors in or near each bedroom and either carbon monoxide detectors or no CO risk. The statutes reviewed do not assign battery or testing duties between landlord and tenant. (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 29-292(a)-(b), 29-453)
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.