Squatters' Rights in Connecticut
Connecticut rules on squatters & abandoned property for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: 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… Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-23(a)(2), (b), (c); 47a-42(a)-(b)
The rules in Connecticut
| Squatters / unauthorized occupants | 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). Bills for fast police or marshal removal by owner affidavit did not pass: 2025 HB 7078 (motion failed in Appropriations on 5/5/2025), 2025 HB 6338 (last action 4/22/2025, referred to Judiciary), and 2026 sHB 5367 (last action 3/25/2026, tabled for the House calendar). The 2026 session has since ended. Status was checked on cga.ct.gov bill status pages. |
|---|---|
| Belongings left behind | Abandoned unit (occupants left without notice and do not intend to return): the landlord may send notice to each occupant's last-known address by both regular mail and certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice must say the landlord (1) believes the unit is abandoned, (2) will re-enter unless the occupant makes contact within 10 days of receiving it, (3) will otherwise remove the belongings and re-rent, and (4) will dispose of anything not reclaimed within 30 days after the notice. It must be in clear, simple language and give the landlord's phone number and mailing address. The landlord must inventory the belongings, remove them, and keep them at least 30 days, then may dispose of them. After an eviction judgment: the state marshal delivers removed belongings to storage designated by the town. If they are not reclaimed and the storage costs are not paid within 15 days, the town sells them at public auction after one week's posted notice. The net proceeds go to the tenant if claimed within 30 days. A deceased sole occupant's belongings follow a separate 60-day probate-court affidavit and inventory process. Abandonment means the occupants left without notice and do not intend to return. That intent may be shown by removal of substantially all belongings plus either more than 2 months of unpaid rent or an express statement that they will not return (§ 47a-11b(a)). If the landlord knows, or reasonably should know, that the unit was not abandoned, the full eviction process is still required (§ 47a-11b(c)). Post-eviction storage rules (§ 47a-42) were verified at https://www.cga.ct.gov/2026/sup/chap_832.htm (amended by P.A. 25-78). |
Related questions
Connecticut vs. neighboring states
| State | Squatters / unauthorized occupants | Belongings left behind |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 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). Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-23(a)(2), (b), (c); 47a-42(a)-(b) | Abandoned unit (occupants left without notice and do not intend to return): the landlord may send notice to each occupant's last-known address by both regular mail and certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice must say the landlord (1) believes the unit is abandoned, (2) will re-enter unless the occupant makes contact within 10 days of receiving it, (3) will otherwise remove the belongings and re-rent, and (4) will dispose of anything not reclaimed within 30 days after the notice. It must be in clear, simple language and give the landlord's phone number and mailing address. The landlord must inventory the belongings, remove them, and keep them at least 30 days, then may dispose of them. After an eviction judgment: the state marshal delivers removed belongings to storage designated by the town. If they are not reclaimed and the storage costs are not paid within 15 days, the town sells them at public auction after one week's posted notice. The net proceeds go to the tenant if claimed within 30 days. A deceased sole occupant's belongings follow a separate 60-day probate-court affidavit and inventory process. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-11b; 47a-42(c); 47a-11d |
| Massachusetts | No special squatter or affidavit statute. The owner recovers possession through a summary process (eviction) case in court. G.L. c. 239, § 1 allows it against anyone who made a forcible entry, or who entered peaceably but holds possession unlawfully by force, among other grounds. Removal is carried out by an officer serving the execution. Removed property must be stored under c. 239, § 4. G.L. c. 239, §§ 1, 4 | After an eviction, an officer who removes the occupant's belongings must store them right away with a licensed, bonded public warehouse within 20 miles, or with a facility the occupant chose in writing. The officer files a receipt describing the goods with the court and gives the occupant a copy. The landlord pays the moving cost, which it can recover from the tenant. Within 7 days the warehouse must issue a receipt explaining reclaim procedures and rates. Storage fees are capped at filed rates, with no add-on fees. The tenant may make one free visit to inspect or take personal or sentimental items. The warehouse may sell only after 6 months; the tenant can delay the sale 3 months by paying half the fees. For a domestic-violence early termination (c. 186, § 24), items left behind are treated as abandoned unless the tenant gives written instructions. G.L. c. 239, § 4; c. 186, § 24(d) |
| New York | A squatter is not a tenant. The law defines a squatter as someone who enters or intrudes on real property without permission of the person entitled to possession and keeps occupying it without title, right, or permission. The owner removes a squatter through a summary proceeding in court ('no landlord-tenant relationship'), served with a 10-day notice to quit. If the occupant entered or stays by force or unlawful means, no notice to quit is needed when the statutory conditions are met. The unlawful-eviction protections of RPAPL § 768 cover occupants who have lawfully occupied a unit for 30+ consecutive days or who have a lease. RPAPL § 711 (opening paragraph); RPAPL § 713(3), (10); RPAPL § 768(1)(a) | Not verified yet |
| Rhode Island | Not verified yet | Not verified yet |
City rules that may add to state law
More Connecticut rental law
- Connecticut Security Deposit Law
- Connecticut Eviction Laws
- Connecticut Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Connecticut
- Connecticut Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Connecticut Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Connecticut
- Connecticut Rental Fee Rules
- Connecticut Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Connecticut Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Connecticut Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Connecticut Landlord Selling the House
- Connecticut Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Connecticut Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Connecticut landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Connecticut
Compare squatters & abandoned property in all 50 states and DC →
Squatters' Rights in Connecticut FAQ
How do you remove a squatter in Connecticut?
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). (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-23(a)(2), (b), (c); 47a-42(a)-(b))
What can a landlord do with a tenant's abandoned property in Connecticut?
Abandoned unit (occupants left without notice and do not intend to return): the landlord may send notice to each occupant's last-known address by both regular mail and certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice must say the landlord (1) believes the unit is abandoned, (2) will re-enter unless the occupant makes contact within 10 days of receiving it, (3) will otherwise remove the belongings and re-rent, and (4) will dispose of anything not reclaimed within 30 days after the notice. It must be in clear, simple language and give the landlord's phone number and mailing address. The landlord must inventory the belongings, remove them, and keep them at least 30 days, then may dispose of them. After an eviction judgment: the state marshal delivers removed belongings to storage designated by the town. If they are not reclaimed and the storage costs are not paid within 15 days, the town sells them at public auction after one week's posted notice. The net proceeds go to the tenant if claimed within 30 days. A deceased sole occupant's belongings follow a separate 60-day probate-court affidavit and inventory process. (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-11b; 47a-42(c); 47a-11d)
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.