Connecticut Rent Increase Notice

Q: What is a rent increase notice in Connecticut?

In Connecticut it is the written notice a landlord uses to raise the rent on a residential tenancy, giving the new monthly figure and the date it starts. On a tenancy longer than one month the raise takes effect only after the 45-day notice under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e has run. It keeps the tenancy in place and changes only the rent, and a tenant who does not respond is not treated as having agreed.

Q: How much notice must a Connecticut landlord give before raising the rent?

It depends on the tenancy. For a tenancy longer than one month, the landlord must give written notice of the proposed increase not less than 45 days before it takes effect; for a tenancy of one month or less, the notice must equal the length of one full term of the lease (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e). A tenant's silence is not agreement, and the raise cannot begin until the required notice has run.

Q: Does a Connecticut tenant agree to a rent increase by not responding?

No. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e makes clear that a tenant's failure to respond to the notice is not agreement to the proposed increase. The tenant may accept the new rent by staying, negotiate, or move, but staying silent does not lock in agreement. The increase still takes effect only after the 45-day notice, or the full-term notice for a tenancy of one month or less, has run.

Q: Can a Connecticut Fair Rent Commission review a rent increase?

In a municipality that has one, yes. A Connecticut Fair Rent Commission may take a tenant complaint about an increase claimed to be excessive and may order a landlord to reduce a rent found to be harsh and unconscionable. This is a separate local process and does not change the 45-day notice under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e. Check whether the city or town where the unit sits has a Fair Rent Commission.

Q: Is there a limit on how much a Connecticut landlord can raise the rent?

No statewide cap. Connecticut sets no ceiling on the amount, so the landlord may choose the new figure once the required notice is given (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e). But in a municipality with a Fair Rent Commission a tenant may challenge an increase as harsh or unconscionable, and the raise still cannot be retaliatory or based on a protected characteristic.

Q: Can a Connecticut landlord raise the rent during a fixed-term lease?

Generally no. A fixed-term lease sets the rent for its whole term, so a Connecticut landlord can change it mid-term only where the lease expressly allows it. Otherwise the increase waits for renewal or applies to a month-to-month tenancy, where the notice under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e governs.

Q: What must a Connecticut rent increase notice include?

It should name the landlord and tenant, give the rental address, list the current and new monthly rent, and set the effective date, confirming it clears the time Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e requires and stating how rent is paid. Because a tenant's silence is not consent, clear dates and amounts help both sides know when the new rent begins.

Q: What happens if a Connecticut rent increase notice gives too little notice?

A raise served with less than the required notice does not take effect on the date written on it. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e it becomes effective only after the 45-day period, or the full-term notice for a tenancy of one month or less, has run. A tenant may keep paying the prior rent until then and treat the short notice as not yet in force.

In Connecticut a landlord must give at least 45 days written notice before a rent increase on a tenancy longer than one month (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e). Connecticut has no statewide rent cap. Attorney review available.

Introduction

Connecticut refreshed its rent-increase rules in a law that took effect on October 1, 2024, Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e, and it does two things most states do not. First, it ties the notice to the length of the tenancy: for a tenancy longer than one month, the landlord must give written notice of the proposed increase not less than 45 days before it takes effect; for a tenancy of one month or less, the notice must equal the length of one full term of the lease. Second, it makes clear that a tenant who says nothing has not agreed to anything, so silence is not consent to the raise. Connecticut sets no statewide cap on the amount, but the ceiling is not entirely open: in a municipality with a Fair Rent Commission, a tenant may ask that commission to review an increase claimed to be excessive. Rent under a fixed-term lease holds through the term unless the lease allows a change, so this notice fits a month-to-month tenancy or takes effect at renewal. Identify the parties, the rental address, the current rent, the new rent, and the effective date in writing, and count the 45 days, because a short notice cannot take hold until the required period has run. DocDraft assembles your Connecticut rent increase notice from the details you enter, with attorney review available before you serve it.

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Key Things to Know

1
A rent increase notice is a written notice from a Connecticut landlord telling a tenant the rent will rise, stating the new monthly amount and the date it takes effect.
2
The notice period tracks the tenancy: not less than 45 days before the increase for a tenancy longer than one month, and a full term for a tenancy of one month or less (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e).
3
A tenant who does not respond has not agreed to the increase; silence is not consent (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e).
4
Connecticut sets no statewide cap, but in a municipality with a Fair Rent Commission a tenant may ask the commission to review an increase claimed to be excessive.
5
A fixed-term lease keeps its rent through the term unless the lease allows a change, so this notice fits a month-to-month tenancy or takes hold at renewal.
6
Name the parties, give the rental address, list the current and new monthly rent, and set the effective date, all in writing.
7
A notice shorter than the required period does not start on the date named; the raise waits until the 45 days, or the full-term notice for a shorter tenancy, has run.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Rent Increase Notice in Connecticut, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Rent Increase Notice guide walks through them.

Open the Rent Increase Notice guide

Customize your Rent Increase Notice Template with DocDraft

[LANDLORD / PROPERTY OWNER NAME] [LANDLORD ADDRESS] [CITY, CONNECTICUT ZIP] [EMAIL] [PHONE]

[DATE]

[TENANT NAME] [RENTAL ADDRESS, UNIT #] [CITY, CONNECTICUT ZIP]

Re: Rent going up at [RENTAL ADDRESS, UNIT #], Connecticut

Dear [TENANT NAME]:

This letter is your written notice that the rent for the home you occupy at [RENTAL ADDRESS] in Connecticut will go up. You hold this property on a month-to-month tenancy at $[CURRENT MONTHLY RENT] per month.

Starting [EFFECTIVE DATE], the rent will be $[NEW MONTHLY RENT] per month, due on the usual day and paid the usual way. That is $[INCREASE AMOUNT] more than you pay now, about [PERCENT] percent.

This notice follows Connecticut General Statutes Section 47a-4e. The required notice depends on the tenancy: for a tenancy longer than one month, at least 45 days before the increase takes effect; for a tenancy of one month or less, a period equal to one full term of the lease. The effective date above is set to give you at least the required notice. Please note that not responding to this letter does not count as agreeing to the new rent.

Connecticut sets no statewide cap on the amount, so the new figure is fixed by this notice and the terms of your tenancy. If the city or town where this property sits has a Fair Rent Commission, you may ask that commission to review an increase you believe is excessive; it may order a reduction of a rent found to be harsh and unconscionable. This raise is not a response to anything you have done and is not based on any protected characteristic.

Every other term stays the same. This notice changes only the monthly rent going forward; your security deposit and the rest of the rental agreement are unchanged, and the tenancy does not end. You may accept the new rent and stay, talk with me about the amount, or give proper written notice and move before the increase takes effect. I am serving this notice in writing and keeping a dated copy, and a written record on your side helps just as much if any question about the timing, the amount, or a Fair Rent Commission review comes up later. If you think the dates fall short of what Connecticut requires, tell me in writing and we will review them. Questions about the amount or the effective date can go to the phone number or email above.

Please update your records so the payment due on or after [EFFECTIVE DATE] reflects the new rent of $[NEW MONTHLY RENT]. Staying on or after that date means the new rent applies.

Sincerely,

[LANDLORD / PROPERTY OWNER NAME]

Delivery record: Served on [DATE] by [personal delivery / mail to the address above]. Keep a copy for your records.

Note: This Connecticut rent increase notice draws on Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e. Connecticut sets a 45-day notice for a tenancy longer than one month and has no statewide rent cap. For the generic template and other states, see the Rent Increase Notice hub.

Connecticut Requirements for Rent Increase Notice

45-Day Notice, With a Short-Term Tier
For a tenancy longer than one month, a Connecticut landlord must give written notice of the increase not less than 45 days before it takes effect; for a tenancy of one month or less, notice equal to the length of one full term of the lease (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e). The effective date must give the tenant at least that much time.
No Statewide Rent Cap
Connecticut has no statewide rent cap, so a landlord may set the new amount as long as the required notice is given. The new rent is set by this notice and the terms of the tenancy, though a Fair Rent Commission may review an increase claimed to be excessive in municipalities that have one.
No Mid-Lease Increase on a Fixed Term
Rent on a fixed-term lease cannot be raised during the term unless the lease specifically allows it, because the rent is a fixed term of the contract. A rent increase notice applies to a month-to-month tenancy or takes effect when a fixed-term lease renews.
Written Notice; Silence Is Not Agreement
The notice must be in writing and delivered so the tenant has at least 45 days before the increase takes effect on a tenancy longer than one month (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e). A tenant's failure to respond is not agreement to the increase. Deliver it personally or by mail and keep proof of how and when it was served.
Counting the Effective Date
Count at least 45 days from when the notice is given to the date the increase takes effect on a tenancy longer than one month (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e). The increase takes effect only on or after that date; set the effective date so the full notice period has run.
What the Notice Must State
The notice should identify the landlord and tenant, give the rental address, state the current monthly rent and the new monthly rent, and state the effective date, confirming it gives at least the time Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e requires. Clear dates and amounts tell the tenant when the new rent applies.
A Short Notice Does Not Take Effect
A rent increase served with less than the required notice does not take effect on the stated date. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-4e the increase is effective only after the 45-day period (or the full-term notice for a tenancy of one month or less) runs, and a tenant may continue paying the prior rent until then.
Fair Rent Commission Review
Connecticut has no statewide cap on the amount, but in a municipality that has a Fair Rent Commission a tenant may ask the commission to review an increase claimed to be harsh and unconscionable, and the commission may order the rent reduced. Check whether the city or town where the unit is located has a Fair Rent Commission.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a rent increase notice in Connecticut?

How much notice must a Connecticut landlord give before raising the rent?

Does a Connecticut tenant agree to a rent increase by not responding?

Can a Connecticut Fair Rent Commission review a rent increase?

Is there a limit on how much a Connecticut landlord can raise the rent?

Can a Connecticut landlord raise the rent during a fixed-term lease?

What must a Connecticut rent increase notice include?

What happens if a Connecticut rent increase notice gives too little notice?

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Rent Increase Notice Template with DocDraft

Connecticut Requirements for Rent Increase Notice

45-Day Notice, With a Short-Term Tier

No Statewide Rent Cap

No Mid-Lease Increase on a Fixed Term

Written Notice; Silence Is Not Agreement

Counting the Effective Date

What the Notice Must State

A Short Notice Does Not Take Effect

Fair Rent Commission Review

Frequently Asked Questions