Connecticut Security Deposit Law: Return Deadline, Limits, and How to Get It Back

In Connecticut, a landlord generally cannot charge a security deposit larger than two months' rent (or one month's rent if the tenant is 62 or older), must return the deposit within 30 days after the tenancy ends (or 15 days after you give a forwarding address, whichever is later), and must pay annual interest on the money it holds. These rules come from Connecticut's security deposit statute, commonly cited as Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21. If your landlord wrongfully keeps your deposit, Connecticut law lets you recover up to twice the amount withheld. This is general legal information, not legal advice, and the rules can change, so confirm the current statute or talk with a Connecticut attorney or legal aid office before acting.

How much a Connecticut landlord can charge

Connecticut is one of the states that caps deposits. The limits are based on the tenant's age:

• Two months' rent is the maximum for most tenants.
• One month's rent is the maximum if the tenant is 62 years old or older. If you turn 62 during your tenancy and your deposit exceeds one month's rent, you can ask the landlord to return the difference.

A landlord who collects more than the legal cap is holding money it is not entitled to keep. Keep proof of what you paid and when, including the lease, receipts, and any bank or money-order records.

The deadline to return your deposit

After you move out, your landlord must mail your deposit (plus any required interest) to your last known address or a forwarding address you provide. The deadline is the later of:

• 30 days after the tenancy ends, or
• 15 days after you give the landlord a written forwarding address.

Because the clock can depend on your forwarding address, it is smart to give your new address in writing as soon as you move and keep a dated copy. If the landlord keeps any part of the deposit, it must send an itemized written statement describing each deduction along with payment of whatever is left.

What can and cannot be deducted

Connecticut landlords may deduct for real losses they can document, but they cannot charge you for ordinary aging of the unit.

• Allowed: unpaid rent, and the cost of repairing damage beyond normal wear and tear.
• Not allowed: normal wear and tear — faded paint, minor carpet wear, small nail holes, and general aging from ordinary living are the landlord's responsibility, not yours.

Photographs or video of the unit's condition at move-in and move-out are your best protection. If you and the landlord disagree about what counts as damage, the itemized statement is the document a court will examine closely.

Interest on your deposit

Connecticut is one of the few states that requires landlords to pay interest on security deposits. The interest rate is set each year (tied to a deposit index published for the state), and the landlord generally must pay or credit that interest annually, as well as when the deposit is returned. If you never received interest during your tenancy, raise it when you ask for your deposit back. Because the rate changes yearly, confirm the current figure rather than assuming a fixed percentage.

Penalty for wrongful withholding and how to sue

If a landlord fails to return your deposit on time or keeps it without a valid, itemized reason, Connecticut law allows you to recover twice the amount wrongfully withheld, in addition to any interest owed. To pursue it:

• Send a written demand for the deposit to the landlord, keeping a copy and proof of mailing.
• If that fails, file in Connecticut Small Claims Court (a part of the Connecticut Superior Court), which handles money disputes up to $5,000. You usually do not need a lawyer for small claims.
• Bring your lease, deposit receipts, move-in and move-out photos, your forwarding-address letter, and any itemized statement the landlord sent.

If your claim is larger than the small claims limit, or the situation is complicated (for example, a disputed eviction or significant damage claims), it is worth consulting a Connecticut landlord-tenant attorney or a legal aid organization. Local cities may have additional rules, so confirm whether any town-specific protections apply where you rent.

Landlord-tenant law changes over time and can have local exceptions. Use this as a starting point and verify the current Connecticut requirements before you rely on a specific deadline, dollar figure, or penalty.