Housing

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 5359: AN ACT CONCERNING PROVISIONS IN RESIDENTIAL RENTAL AGREEMENTS.

HB 5359, effective October 1, 2026, requires landlords in Connecticut to provide at least one no-fee payment method (like cash or check) for rent, prohibiting electronic funds transfer as the exclusive payment option. It bans specific unfair clauses in rental agreements, including excessive late fees, rent hikes for lease breaches, post-lease rent increases, and waivers of tenant rights under housing law. The bill also mandates the Department of Housing to create a bilingual (English/Spanish) standardized rental summary form by July 2026, clearly listing key terms like rent amount, landlord contact, and late fee details. This directly affects residential tenants and landlords by increasing transparency and limiting exploitative contract terms.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBans excessive late fees and rent hikes; mandates no-fee payment options; protects tenant rights under housing law95% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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in committee · Connecticut · House Apr 16, 2026

HB 5114: AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REFUNDABLE CREDIT AGAINST THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX FOR A PORTION OF ANNUAL RENT PAYMENTS MADE BY A TAXPAYER FOR A PRIMARY RESIDENCE IN THE STATE.

HB 5114 would create a refundable tax credit for renters in the state who pay personal income tax. It allows eligible renters to claim a credit equal to a portion of their rent payments for a primary residence, based on the property tax assessed on that rental property. This credit directly reduces the renter's tax liability and, because it's refundable, could provide a cash refund even if the renter owes no tax. The bill affects renters with primary residences in the state who pay income tax, targeting those whose rent payments correlate with the property tax burden on their landlord's property.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates refundable tax credit reducing renter's tax liability, providing direct relief to eligible renters - aligns with tax relief for lower/middle income.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingCreates refundable tax credit reducing rent costs for primary residence renters, directly increasing housing affordability for eligible tenants.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Income Tax Tax Credits Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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in committee · Connecticut · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SB 241: AN ACT CONCERNING THE WATERBURY LAND BANK.

SB 241 authorizes Connecticut to issue up to $5 million in state bonds to fund the Waterbury Land Bank Authority. The funds will be used by the Department of Economic and Community Development to provide grants for acquiring, maintaining, remediating, or developing real property in Waterbury. The bill creates a dedicated funding mechanism with the state pledging full credit for bond repayment, maturing within 20 years. This directly affects Waterbury residents and local property projects through targeted land bank activities.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingAuthorizes $5M in bonds for Waterbury Land Bank grants to acquire, develop, and remediate property, directly funding housing development projects in Waterbury.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Community Development Property Development

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in committee · Connecticut · Senate Feb 27, 2026

SB 334: AN ACT CONCERNING THE COMPOSITION OF FAIR RENT COMMISSIONS.

SB 334 requires fair rent commissions in municipalities with 15,000 or more residents (as determined by the latest census) to consist of exactly 50% landlords and 50% tenants, effective January 1, 2027. These municipalities must establish such commissions or join a joint or regional commission by January 1, 2028. The commissions will investigate rental charges (excluding seasonal rentals) and address complaints about excessive rent to prevent unfair pricing. This requirement applies to all municipal, joint, and regional fair rent commissions created under the law.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingRequires balanced commissions to investigate excessive rent and prevent unfair pricing, directly protecting tenants from exploitative charges.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Renters

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in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 23, 2026

HB 5365: AN ACT INCREASING CERTAIN HOUSING UNIT-EQUIVALENT POINTS.

HB 5365 modifies Connecticut's affordable housing moratorium rules by increasing the required "housing unit-equivalent points" municipalities must achieve to qualify for a moratorium on new affordable housing applications. It sets new thresholds: municipalities must create points equal to 2% of their total housing units (or 75 points) for most areas, or 1.75% (or 65 points) for larger municipalities with housing growth plans. The bill directly affects local governments developing affordable housing, exempting projects with 95% low-income units, under 40 dwelling units, or pre-existing applications from the moratorium. It establishes a certification process where municipalities must document completed housing developments meeting these point requirements to extend moratorium periods.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill increases required affordable housing points for municipalities to qualify for moratoriums, making it harder to block new projects and advancing housing development.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing

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passed · Connecticut · Senate Apr 16, 2026

SB 274: AN ACT CONCERNING NONRESIDENT LANDLORD REGISTRATION AND INCREASING PENALTIES FOR REPEAT BUILDING AND FIRE CODE VIOLATIONS.

SB 274 requires nonresident rental property owners (those who don’t live at their properties) to register their current address and identifying information with municipalities. Cities with populations over 25,000 must collect this data from owners or their agents, and owners must update it within 21 days of any address change. The bill also increases fines for repeat violations of building and fire safety codes by property owners, and uses registered addresses to legally serve compliance notices.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingIncreases penalties for building/fire code violations, strengthening tenant safety protections through enforcement.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords

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signed · Connecticut · House May 20, 2026

HB 5141: AN ACT REQUIRING FEAR OF RETALIATION TRAINING FOR PERSONS PROVIDING ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES IN MANAGED RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES.

HB 5141 requires assisted living services agencies in managed residential communities to provide annual training to all their employees about residents' fear of retaliation. The training must cover residents' rights to file complaints, examples of potential retaliation, and ways to prevent it. This law, effective October 1, 2026, applies specifically to licensed agencies providing assisted living services and does not require training to be conducted by social workers.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill mandates training on resident complaint rights and retaliation prevention in assisted living housing, directly strengthening tenant protections within housing communities.90% confidence

in committee · Connecticut · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 5284: AN ACT CONCERNING PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT FOR CERTAIN FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS.

HB 5284 authorizes Connecticut municipalities to reduce property taxes by up to $500 annually for up to five years for qualified first-time homebuyers. It directly affects buyers who obtain loans from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) for a single-family home serving as their primary residence. The bill requires municipal approval (via legislative body or board of selectmen) to implement the tax abatement, which applies only to properties encumbered by a CHFA mortgage. This policy creates a concrete tax relief mechanism for eligible homebuyers without mandating participation from all municipalities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides direct property tax relief ($500/year) for first-time homebuyers via municipal abatement, aligning with tax relief for middle-income residents.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill provides $500 annual property tax abatement for first-time homebuyers using CHFA loans, directly reducing housing costs and increasing affordability for primary residences.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Affordable Housing Homeownership Property Taxes

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signed · Connecticut · Senate May 26, 2026

SB 369: AN ACT ESTABLISHING VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS REGARDING ELEVATORS.

SB 369 requires owners of residential buildings with elevators used by people with disabilities to maintain elevator safety and accessibility. It mandates 24-hour written maintenance notices, adherence to manufacturer standards, installation of approved emergency key safes (Knox boxes), and prompt repairs if elevators are inoperable for more than 48 hours or exceed two outages in 30 days. Owners must post bilingual emergency signage inside/outside elevators and provide annual written tenant notifications about their rights. Violations incur daily fines up to $250, enforced by the Department of Administrative Services, which can order repairs, issue citations, or relocate tenants if safety is compromised. This directly affects residential building owners with qualifying elevators, excluding municipal/state properties and renovation sites.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingMandates elevator safety/accessibility for tenants with disabilities in residential buildings, directly strengthening tenant protections through safety requirements and accessibility standards.90% confidence

in committee · Connecticut · House Feb 13, 2026

HB 5205: AN ACT DEDICATING A PORTION OF THE ROOM OCCUPANCY TAX ON SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES TO MUNICIPALITIES.

HB 5205 would redirect a portion of the room occupancy tax collected by the state from short-term rental properties (like vacation rentals and Airbnb) to the municipalities where those properties are located. This change would provide local governments with new revenue they could use for community services, infrastructure, or housing programs. The bill amends existing tax law to require the state to allocate this portion of tax revenue directly to municipalities instead of retaining it at the state level. Currently, the state collects the tax, but under this bill, a share would flow directly to the local communities hosting these rentals.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects state room occupancy tax revenue from short-term rentals to municipalities, directly increasing local government funding for services and infrastructure.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingRedirects short-term rental tax revenue to municipalities for housing programs, explicitly funding housing initiatives per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Revenue Sales Tax Property Taxes

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