Connecticut Notice to Quit: 2026 Landlord Rules & 3-Day Statute
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Connecticut · Last updated 2026-05-31
Connecticut General Statutes § 47a-23 sets the notice to quit as the written pre-eviction notice a landlord must serve, giving the tenant at least three full days to quit possession before a summary process action is filed. For nonpayment of rent, § 47a-15a requires the landlord to wait out a nine-day grace period (four days for a one-week tenancy) before that three-day notice to quit may be served. Curable lease violations require a separate fifteen-day pretermination notice under § 47a-15 before the notice to quit. The notice to quit must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer, after which the landlord files a summary process action in the Superior Court, heard in a Housing Session where one exists.
How do I serve a notice to quit in Connecticut?
Connecticut requires the notice to quit to be served by a state marshal or other proper officer, or by an indifferent person, under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(c). The officer delivers a copy to each lessee or occupant or leaves it at the place of residence, and delivery may be made on any day of the week. This is stricter than states that let a landlord mail or post the notice themselves: in Connecticut the landlord engages a marshal rather than serving the notice personally. Certified mail and door-posting are not clearly authorized stand-alone methods for the notice to quit. For a nonresident lessee or where the lessee's whereabouts are unknown, § 47a-23b provides alternative service.
What is the nonpayment notice period and grace period in Connecticut?
For nonpayment of rent, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a requires the landlord to wait a nine-day grace period (four days for a one-week tenancy) after rent is due and unpaid before terminating the tenancy. Only after that grace period elapses may the landlord serve a § 47a-23 notice to quit, which itself must give the tenant at least three full days to quit before a summary process action is filed. The three days exclude the date service is made and the quit date. The fifteen-day cure notice under § 47a-15 does not apply to nonpayment of rent.
What notice applies at lease-end or for a no-cause termination in Connecticut?
Connecticut does not impose a fixed 30-day or 60-day no-cause termination period. For a tenancy terminating by lapse of time or expressed stipulation, the landlord serves a § 47a-23 notice to quit giving at least three full days before the date specified to quit and before a summary process action is filed. There is no statewide general just-cause requirement for non-protected tenants. Protected elderly or disabled tenants in buildings with five or more units are subject to the good-cause limits in § 47a-23c, which restrict the grounds on which their tenancies can be terminated.
What happens if the tenant does not vacate after the notice to quit?
After the three-day notice to quit expires and the tenant remains, the landlord files a summary process (eviction) action in the Connecticut Superior Court, heard in a Housing Session where one exists and otherwise on the regular Judicial District docket. The entry (filing) fee is $175 under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-259, and a litigant who cannot afford it may apply for a fee waiver on form JD-CV-120. Connecticut runs the case on a Return Date and pleading schedule rather than a single fixed hearing-window day count: three days before the Return Date the landlord files the original Notice to Quit, the marshal's signed Return of Service, and the Complaint with the Clerk.
Connecticut notice-to-quit framework at a glance
Connecticut summary process law lives in Conn. Gen. Stat. Title 47a, Chapter 832 (Summary Process, §§ 47a-23 et seq.) and Chapter 830 (Rights and Responsibilities of Landlord and Tenant, including §§ 47a-15, 47a-15a, and 47a-20). The notice to quit under § 47a-23 must give the tenant at least three full days to quit possession before a summary process action is filed. Different causes carry different pre-notice steps: nonpayment of rent requires a nine-day grace period under § 47a-15a (four days for a one-week tenancy) before the notice to quit, curable lease violations require a fifteen-day pretermination cure notice under § 47a-15, and serious nuisance allows a direct three-day notice to quit. The notice to quit must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer under § 47a-23(c). Connecticut has no statewide general just-cause requirement; § 47a-23c limits termination grounds only for protected elderly or disabled tenants in buildings with five or more units. The post-notice pathway is a summary process action in the Superior Court, heard in a Housing Session where one exists, with a $175 entry fee set by § 52-259. The Connecticut Judicial Branch publishes Landlord/Tenant self-help materials and summary process court forms (such as JD-HM-32 and the JD-HM-8 nonpayment complaint) at jud.ct.gov.
Landlord Resources
Connecticut Judicial Branch Landlord/Tenant Self-Help
Official state judicial branch resource explaining the summary process (eviction) pathway, the $175 entry fee, the notice to quit, marshal service, and the fee-waiver form JD-CV-120.
Connecticut General Assembly Statutes (Chapters 830 and 832)
Primary source for Conn. Gen. Stat. Title 47a, including the § 47a-23 notice to quit, the § 47a-15a nonpayment grace period, the § 47a-15 pretermination notice, and the § 47a-20 retaliation prohibition.
Connecticut Judicial Branch Summary Process Court Forms
State-published summary process forms used once an eviction action is filed, including the Summons (JD-HM-32) and the Nonpayment of Rent Complaint (JD-HM-8).
Relevant Laws
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23 (Notice to Quit Possession or Occupancy)
Prescribes the written notice to quit, its statutory form and content, service by a proper officer or indifferent person, and the requirement of at least three days to quit before a summary process action is filed.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a (Nonpayment of Rent; Grace Period)
Requires a nine-day grace period (four days for a one-week tenancy) after rent is due and unpaid before the landlord may terminate the tenancy and serve a notice to quit for nonpayment.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15 (Pretermination Notice for Curable Breach)
Requires a fifteen-day written pretermination notice giving the tenant a chance to remedy a curable material noncompliance before a notice to quit may issue; serious nuisance is exempt from the cure requirement.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23c (Protected Elderly or Disabled Tenants; Good Cause)
Limits the grounds on which a landlord may terminate the tenancy of a protected tenant (sixty-two or older, or with a defined disability) in a building or complex with five or more units.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-20 (Retaliatory Action Prohibited)
Bars a landlord from seeking possession, raising rent, or decreasing services within six months after a tenant exercises protected rights such as reporting code violations or requesting repairs.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-259 (Court Fees)
Sets the $175 entry (filing) fee for a summary process action, as applied by the Connecticut Judicial Branch; a fee waiver is available on form JD-CV-120.
Federal SCRA, 50 U.S.C. § 3955 (Termination of Residential Leases)
Federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act provision governing lease termination and related protections for active-duty servicemembers.
Regional Variances
Connecticut summary process practice by Housing Session city
Hartford
Summary process matters in Hartford are heard in a Superior Court Housing Session, the specialized docket for landlord-tenant cases. Landlords filing here use the standard summary process pathway: notice to quit served by a state marshal, then a Complaint filed with the Clerk on the Return Date schedule. The $175 entry fee under § 52-259 and the Housing Session docket apply uniformly, but local marshal service fees and scheduling vary.
New Haven
New Haven also operates a Superior Court Housing Session for summary process cases. The procedural sequence is the same statewide (notice to quit, Return Date, pleading schedule), and landlords should confirm whether the city or its fair rent commission imposes any local overlay before serving the notice to quit. Connecticut law requires towns of 25,000 or more population to maintain a fair rent commission, and a complaint to that commission is a protected act under § 47a-20.
Bridgeport
Bridgeport summary process cases are heard in a Housing Session. The notice to quit must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer under § 47a-23(c), and the same three-day notice and cause-specific pre-notice steps (nine-day grace for nonpayment, fifteen-day cure for curable breaches) apply. Landlords should account for the city's fair rent commission, since rent-increase and conduct complaints to that body are protected under the retaliation statute.
Waterbury
Waterbury hosts a Superior Court Housing Session for landlord-tenant matters. The statewide summary process rules govern: a state marshal serves the notice to quit, the landlord files the Complaint with the Clerk on the Return Date schedule, and the $175 entry fee applies. Local marshal fees and Housing Session calendars differ from the larger metros, so landlords should confirm current local timing before filing.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Identify the cause and the correct pre-notice path
Pre-notice days after startingMap the situation to the right path under Conn. Gen. Stat. Title 47a. Nonpayment of rent: wait the § 47a-15a nine-day grace period (four days for a one-week tenancy), then a § 47a-23 three-day notice to quit. Curable lease violation: serve a § 47a-15 fifteen-day pretermination notice first. Serious nuisance: proceed directly to the three-day notice to quit. Lease-end by lapse of time or stipulation: a three-day notice to quit. Confirm whether the tenant is protected under § 47a-23c.
Wait the nine-day nonpayment grace period where it applies
Pre-notice days after startingFor nonpayment of rent, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a requires the landlord to allow a nine-day grace period (four days for a one-week tenancy) after rent is due and unpaid before the tenancy can be terminated. Do not serve the notice to quit until that grace period has fully elapsed. For a curable lease violation, the separate fifteen-day pretermination cure period under § 47a-15 must run first instead.
Draft a notice to quit that meets the § 47a-23 content requirements
Pre-notice days after startingThe notice to quit must be in writing (oral notice does not satisfy § 47a-23). It must state the address of the premises including any apartment number, the date on or before which the tenant must quit, the reason or reasons stated using the statutory language or words of similar import, and the date and place of signing with the landlord's signature. Where the occupant's name is unknown, an alias such as John Doe or Jane Doe reasonably characterizing the person may be used.
Have the notice to quit served by a state marshal
Service days after startingUnder Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(c) the notice to quit must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer, or by an indifferent person, who delivers a copy to each lessee or occupant or leaves it at the place of residence; delivery may be made on any day of the week. Certified mail and door-posting are not clearly authorized stand-alone methods. For a nonresident lessee or unknown whereabouts, § 47a-23b governs alternative service. Keep the marshal's signed Return of Service.
Wait the full three-day notice-to-quit period
Notice period days after startingThe notice to quit must give the tenant at least three full days to quit possession before a summary process action is filed; the three days exclude the date service is made and the quit date. Do not file the summary process action before that period expires. Filing too early can cause the action to fail and force re-service of a corrected notice.
File the summary process action in the Superior Court
Post-notice days after startingAfter the notice to quit expires and the tenant remains, file a summary process (eviction) action in the Connecticut Superior Court, heard in a Housing Session where one exists. The entry (filing) fee is $175 under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-259, with a fee waiver available on form JD-CV-120. Three days before the Return Date, file the original Notice to Quit, the marshal's signed Return of Service, and the original Complaint with the Clerk.
Appear and follow the Return Date pleading schedule
Hearing days after startingConnecticut summary process runs on a Return Date and pleading schedule rather than a single fixed hearing day. After the Return Date the tenant's appearance, answer, and any motions follow the Chapter 832 pleading schedule and the Practice Book. Bring the lease, the notice to quit with the marshal's Return of Service, a rent ledger if nonpayment is the ground, and documentation showing compliance with the § 47a-20 retaliation limits.
Obtain the judgment and execution for possession
Post-judgment days after startingIf the landlord prevails, the court enters judgment for possession and the landlord may obtain an execution that a state marshal carries out to restore possession. Track any tenant appeal or stay, since these can pause execution. Attorney review is available as an option if the tenant raises defenses such as defective notice, retaliation, or protected-tenant status under § 47a-23c.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify the cause and the correct pre-notice path | Map the situation to the right path under Conn. Gen. Stat. Title 47a. Nonpayment of rent: wait the § 47a-15a nine-day grace period (four days for a one-week tenancy), then a § 47a-23 three-day notice to quit. Curable lease violation: serve a § 47a-15 fifteen-day pretermination notice first. Serious nuisance: proceed directly to the three-day notice to quit. Lease-end by lapse of time or stipulation: a three-day notice to quit. Confirm whether the tenant is protected under § 47a-23c. | - | Pre-notice |
| Wait the nine-day nonpayment grace period where it applies | For nonpayment of rent, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a requires the landlord to allow a nine-day grace period (four days for a one-week tenancy) after rent is due and unpaid before the tenancy can be terminated. Do not serve the notice to quit until that grace period has fully elapsed. For a curable lease violation, the separate fifteen-day pretermination cure period under § 47a-15 must run first instead. | - | Pre-notice |
| Draft a notice to quit that meets the § 47a-23 content requirements | The notice to quit must be in writing (oral notice does not satisfy § 47a-23). It must state the address of the premises including any apartment number, the date on or before which the tenant must quit, the reason or reasons stated using the statutory language or words of similar import, and the date and place of signing with the landlord's signature. Where the occupant's name is unknown, an alias such as John Doe or Jane Doe reasonably characterizing the person may be used. | notice-to-vacate | Pre-notice |
| Have the notice to quit served by a state marshal | Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(c) the notice to quit must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer, or by an indifferent person, who delivers a copy to each lessee or occupant or leaves it at the place of residence; delivery may be made on any day of the week. Certified mail and door-posting are not clearly authorized stand-alone methods. For a nonresident lessee or unknown whereabouts, § 47a-23b governs alternative service. Keep the marshal's signed Return of Service. | - | Service |
| Wait the full three-day notice-to-quit period | The notice to quit must give the tenant at least three full days to quit possession before a summary process action is filed; the three days exclude the date service is made and the quit date. Do not file the summary process action before that period expires. Filing too early can cause the action to fail and force re-service of a corrected notice. | - | Notice period |
| File the summary process action in the Superior Court | After the notice to quit expires and the tenant remains, file a summary process (eviction) action in the Connecticut Superior Court, heard in a Housing Session where one exists. The entry (filing) fee is $175 under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-259, with a fee waiver available on form JD-CV-120. Three days before the Return Date, file the original Notice to Quit, the marshal's signed Return of Service, and the original Complaint with the Clerk. | - | Post-notice |
| Appear and follow the Return Date pleading schedule | Connecticut summary process runs on a Return Date and pleading schedule rather than a single fixed hearing day. After the Return Date the tenant's appearance, answer, and any motions follow the Chapter 832 pleading schedule and the Practice Book. Bring the lease, the notice to quit with the marshal's Return of Service, a rent ledger if nonpayment is the ground, and documentation showing compliance with the § 47a-20 retaliation limits. | - | Hearing |
| Obtain the judgment and execution for possession | If the landlord prevails, the court enters judgment for possession and the landlord may obtain an execution that a state marshal carries out to restore possession. Track any tenant appeal or stay, since these can pause execution. Attorney review is available as an option if the tenant raises defenses such as defective notice, retaliation, or protected-tenant status under § 47a-23c. | - | Post-judgment |
Frequently Asked Questions
They are calendar days, not business days. The nine-day wait before a landlord may act on unpaid rent under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a (four days for a one-week tenancy) runs on calendar days, and the three full days the § 47a-23 notice to quit must give before a summary process action is filed are also calendar days, excluding only the date service is made and the quit date. Because the counts are continuous calendar days, intervening weekends and holidays are included rather than skipped.
Usually yes. For a material noncompliance with the rental agreement or the rules and regulations that can be remedied, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15 requires the landlord to deliver a written pretermination notice specifying the breach and stating that the rental agreement will terminate on a date not less than fifteen days after receipt. If the tenant adequately remedies the breach within that fifteen-day period, the rental agreement does not terminate. Only if the breach is not cured (or if substantially the same act recurs within six months) may the landlord then serve a § 47a-23 three-day notice to quit. Serious nuisance is the exception: no fifteen-day cure notice is required, and the landlord may proceed directly to the three-day notice to quit.
Yes. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. § 3955) provides lease-termination and eviction protections for active-duty servicemembers, and Connecticut also has its own servicemember lease-termination provisions referenced in the § 47a-23 federal termination notice clause. A landlord who receives a servicemember termination notice or learns a tenant is on active duty should confirm the controlling federal and state requirements before proceeding with a notice to quit or summary process action on that tenancy.
Connecticut's notice to quit must be in writing (oral notice does not satisfy § 47a-23), must state the address of the premises, the date on or before which the tenant must quit, the reason or reasons for the notice using the statutory language or words of similar import, and the date and place of signing with the landlord's signature. It must be served by a proper officer or indifferent person. For nonpayment, the nine-day grace period must have elapsed first; for a curable lease violation, the fifteen-day pretermination notice must have been served and not cured. A notice that skips a required pre-notice step, uses the wrong grounds, or is improperly served can cause the summary process action to fail, forcing the landlord to start over with a corrected notice.
Yes. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-20 bars a landlord from maintaining an action to recover possession, demanding a rent increase, or decreasing services within six months after the tenant in good faith attempts to remedy a housing or health code violation by lawful means (including contacting officials or filing a complaint with a fair rent commission), after a municipal agency files a notice or complaint about such a violation, after the tenant in good faith requests repairs, or after the tenant in good faith institutes an action. The retaliatory-eviction defense is generally not available in a summary process action for nonpayment of rent, and the presumption of retaliation is rebuttable.
Yes. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23c protects certain tenants who are sixty-two years of age or older, or who have a physical or mental disability as defined in the statute, when they live in buildings or complexes with five or more units. For those protected tenants, the landlord may terminate the tenancy only for one of the statute's enumerated good causes. This is Connecticut's nearest analogue to a just-cause eviction regime, but it is limited to statutorily protected elderly and disabled tenants rather than all tenants statewide. A landlord terminating a protected tenant should confirm the termination fits one of the enumerated grounds in § 47a-23c before serving a notice to quit.
No. Connecticut does not have a statewide general just-cause eviction requirement applicable to all tenants. A landlord may decline to renew a tenancy that has terminated by lapse of time, subject to the § 47a-20 retaliation limits and fair-housing law. The closest analogue is the § 47a-23c good-cause limitation, which applies only to protected elderly or disabled tenants in buildings with five or more units.
A summary process (eviction) action is filed in the Connecticut Superior Court. In the major cities the case is heard in a Housing Session; elsewhere it proceeds on the regular Judicial District docket. The entry (filing) fee is $175 under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-259, and a litigant who cannot afford it may submit an Application for Waiver of Fees (JD-CV-120). The state marshal who serves the notice and summons charges a separate service fee that varies.
Other Connecticut guides
How to Break a Lease in Connecticut Legally (2026)
Tenant Rights in Connecticut: Renting a New Property (2026)
Landlord Rules in Connecticut: Renting Out Property (2026)
Selling a House with Renters in Connecticut (2026)
How to File a Small Claims Lawsuit in Connecticut (2026)
How to Dispute a Bill in Connecticut (2026)
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