Tenant Protections
Learn more about the legislative status of the proposals below.
Rent Caps/Good Cause Eviction
This proposal would cap annual rent increases at 2.5% and expand the good cause eviction protections available to some senior and/or disabled tenants to all tenants. (Lead organizations: Democratic Socialists of America, CT Fair Housing Center, the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance, the CT Tenants Union, and Make the Road CT)
Fair Eviction Records Access
Too often, outdated and misleading information on eviction filings (including for matters that are resolved or erroneous) are used to deny renters a unit. This proposal would shorten the time that the record of an eviction case is available in the public online database and to tenant screening services. (Lead organizations: Connecticut Legal Services, Greater Hartford Legal Aid, and New Haven Legal Assistance)
Multifamily Owner Transparency
When municipalities receive complaints about unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions or emergencies at a rental property, it is critical for the local agency to be able to quickly contact the responsible parties that own and maintain the building. This proposal would require that landlords disclose the real people (rather than an LLC) who own and are responsible for multifamily rental properties. (Lead organization: CT Voices for Children)
Increase Fines for Housing Code Violations
To many housing providers, fines for housing code violations, capped at $250 in many cases, are just the cost of doing business and don’t prompt them to address issues efficiently. This proposal would raise the maximum fine for housing code violations. (Lead organization: CT Voices for Children)
Increase Funding for Municipal Inspection Offices
This proposal would create a $5 million pilot program to support additional housing inspection capacity and enforcement in municipalities with a proactive residential rental licensing or inspection program, with a goal of ensuring that landlords’ comply with local health and housing code ordinances. (Lead organization: HOMECT/Partnership for Strong Communities)
Other Bills to Watch
- Fair Tenant Screening: This proposal would ensure that criminal records that are irrelevant to an applicant’s ability to be a safe and reliable renter cannot be used to unfairly deny someone a rental unit. (Lead organizations: CT Coalition to End Homelessness, ACLU, and CT Fair Housing Center)