Connecticut Notice to Quit — Lapse of Time / No-Cause Termination

CONNECTICUT NOTICE TO QUIT — LAPSE OF TIME / NO-CAUSE TERMINATION (§ 47a-23(a)(1)(A))

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Threshold Eligibility Checklist
2. Optional Pre-Termination Letter (30-Day Courtesy Non-Renewal)
3. Statutory Notice to Quit Possession — Lapse of Time
4. Tenant Rights Notice and Right to Counsel Advisory
5. Service Instructions for State Marshal
6. Marshal's Return of Service
7. Connecticut Practice Notes
8. Sources and References

1. THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST

Before issuing a no-cause / lapse-of-time Notice to Quit in Connecticut, confirm each of the following:

• ☐ The lease term has expired or the periodic tenancy is to be terminated.
• ☐ The tenancy is NOT subject to § 47a-23c protected-tenant restrictions (tenant is not 62+ or physically disabled in a 5+ unit building or mobile manufactured home park).
• ☐ The tenancy is NOT federally subsidized housing requiring "good cause" for non-renewal (public housing, project-based Section 8, RAD, post-year-15 LIHTC, certain HOPE VI, USDA RD).
• ☐ The tenant is NOT in the initial term of a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher tenancy (24 C.F.R. § 982.310).
• ☐ The premises is NOT a mobile manufactured home park space (CGS §§ 21-79 to 21-82a impose extensive restrictions).
• ☐ The termination is NOT retaliatory (no qualifying tenant protected activity within the prior six (6) months under § 47a-20).
• ☐ The termination is NOT discriminatory (§ 46a-64c) — no protected-class basis (race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, religion, status as a veteran, status as a victim of domestic violence, lawful immigration status).
• ☐ The termination is NOT based on tenant's status as a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking (VAWA, 34 U.S.C. § 12491).
• ☐ Lease provisions on termination/notice have been reviewed and any longer notice period required by the lease will be honored.

If any item is unchecked, STOP and consult counsel. A no-cause NTQ in any of those situations risks dismissal, statutory damages, attorney fees, and CHRO complaints.

2. OPTIONAL PRE-TERMINATION LETTER (30-DAY COURTESY NON-RENEWAL)

[LANDLORD / OWNER NAME]
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
[CITY], CT [ZIP]

Date: [__/__/____]

To: [TENANT NAME(S)]
[STREET ADDRESS, UNIT NO.]
[CITY], CT [ZIP]

RE: NOTICE OF NON-RENEWAL OF TENANCY

Dear [TENANT NAME]:

This letter is to inform you that the landlord does NOT intend to renew your tenancy at the above-described premises beyond [__/__/____]. Your current rental agreement (whether written or month-to-month) will not be extended.

You are requested to vacate the premises and return possession to the landlord on or before [__/__/____]. If you do not vacate by that date, a Notice to Quit Possession under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23 will be served upon you, and the landlord may commence a Summary Process action in the Superior Court Housing Session.

Please contact the landlord at [TELEPHONE / EMAIL] to coordinate move-out, return of keys, your forwarding address for security deposit return (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 — 21 days after receipt of forwarding address), and a final walk-through.

Sincerely,

[LANDLORD NAME / TITLE]

3. STATUTORY NOTICE TO QUIT POSSESSION — LAPSE OF TIME

NOTICE TO QUIT POSSESSION OF PREMISES

CONN. GEN. STAT. § 47a-23

STATE OF CONNECTICUT

To: [TENANT NAME(S)] and all other occupants of the premises located at:

[STREET ADDRESS, UNIT NO.]
[CITY], CT [ZIP]

I, [LANDLORD / AGENT NAME], as [Landlord / Owner / Authorized Agent of Landlord], hereby give you notice that you are to QUIT POSSESSION of the above-described premises now occupied by you on or before:

[__/__/____] (the "Quit Date")

The reason for this Notice to Quit Possession is:

LAPSE OF TIME

(Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(a)(1)(A)).

The rental agreement under which you have occupied the premises has expired by its own terms / your month-to-month (periodic) tenancy is hereby terminated by the landlord, effective the Quit Date set forth above. The landlord does not intend to extend or renew the rental agreement and does not consent to your continued occupancy beyond the Quit Date.

To the extent any provision of federal law (including but not limited to 24 C.F.R. parts 5, 880, 882, 884, 886, 247, 982, or the Violence Against Women Act, 34 U.S.C. § 12491 et seq.) requires additional pretermination notice, that notice has been or is being concurrently provided. [STRIKE IF NOT APPLICABLE].

ANY PAYMENTS TENDERED AFTER THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR USE AND OCCUPANCY ONLY, and not as rent, with full reservation of all rights to proceed with summary process and to recover possession of the premises. The acceptance of any such payment shall not be construed as a waiver of this Notice to Quit, the creation of a new tenancy, or reinstatement of the rental agreement. (Use-and-occupancy disclaimer authorized by § 47a-23(e).)

Dated at [CITY], Connecticut, this ____ day of [MONTH], [YEAR].

[LANDLORD / AGENT NAME], Landlord / Authorized Agent

Signature: [________________________________]

Address: [________________________________]

Telephone: [________________________________]

4. TENANT RIGHTS NOTICE AND RIGHT TO COUNSEL ADVISORY

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR TENANT

You may have legal rights and defenses, including:

• Right to Counsel. If your household income is at or below 80% of state median income and you live in a qualifying ZIP code (Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, New Britain, Norwich, Stamford, Meriden, Manchester, and other expansion areas), you may be entitled to free legal representation under Public Act 21-34. Call 2-1-1 or visit EvictionHelpCT.org.
• Protected tenant status (§ 47a-23c). If you are 62 years of age or older, or physically disabled (as defined in § 1-1f, with disability expected to last at least 12 months or to result in death), and you reside in a building with five (5) or more separate dwelling units or a mobile manufactured home park, lapse of time / non-renewal alone is NOT a permitted ground for your eviction. The landlord must establish one of the following enumerated grounds: nonpayment of rent; refusal to agree to a fair and equitable rent increase; material noncompliance with § 47a-11 affecting health/safety; voiding under § 47a-31; material noncompliance with rules and regulations under § 47a-9 or § 21-70; permanent removal of the unit from the housing market; or bona fide intention by landlord to use the unit as principal residence.
• Retaliation defense (§ 47a-20). A rebuttable presumption of retaliatory action arises if termination is commenced within six (6) months after you (1) attempted in good faith to remedy a code violation, (2) had a code agency cite the landlord, (3) requested repairs in good faith, or (4) instituted any action under the landlord-tenant statutes.
• Discrimination defense (§ 46a-64c). Including discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, lawful source of income (including Section 8 vouchers), familial status, religion, status as a veteran, status as a victim of domestic violence, and lawful immigration status.
• VAWA defense. Termination based on your status as a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or based on your reporting of such crimes, is prohibited (34 U.S.C. § 12491).
• Reasonable accommodation. If a disability prevents timely move-out, you may request a reasonable accommodation under § 46a-64c and the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)).
• Self-help prohibited (§ 47a-43). Your landlord may not lock you out, shut off utilities, or remove your belongings.

5. SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS FOR STATE MARSHAL

TO THE STATE MARSHAL OR INDIFFERENT PERSON:

You are hereby directed to serve a true and attested copy of the foregoing Notice to Quit Possession upon the named tenant(s) and all other occupants of the premises by:

• ☐ Personal service upon the tenant; or
• ☐ Abode service by leaving a true and attested copy at the usual place of abode of the tenant; or
• ☐ Such other method authorized by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(c).

Service must be made not later than [__/__/____] so as to allow at least three (3) full days, excluding the date of service and the Quit Date, before the Quit Date stated above.

Following service, please complete the Marshal's Return of Service set forth in Section 6 below and return the original of the Notice to:

[LANDLORD / COUNSEL NAME AND ADDRESS]

6. MARSHAL'S RETURN OF SERVICE

STATE OF CONNECTICUT

COUNTY OF [____________]

I, the undersigned Connecticut State Marshal / indifferent person / proper officer, hereby certify and return that I served a true and attested copy of the foregoing Notice to Quit Possession upon [TENANT NAME(S)] at [STREET ADDRESS, UNIT NO., CITY, CT ZIP] on [__/__/____] at [____ AM/PM] by:

• ☐ Personal service upon the tenant
• ☐ Abode service (leaving a true and attested copy at the usual place of abode)
• ☐ Other (specify): [________________________________]

Fees: $[________]

Dated: [__/__/____]

Signature: [________________________________]

[STATE MARSHAL NAME, BADGE NO., COUNTY]

7. CONNECTICUT PRACTICE NOTES

1. Lapse-of-time NTQ before lease expiration is premature. A Notice to Quit served before the lease term ends or before the periodic tenancy concludes is defective. Wait until the lease has expired (or the periodic tenancy has continued without a new agreement) before serving.
2. Strict construction. Connecticut housing courts strictly construe the Notice to Quit. Defects in identifying the parties, premises, ground, or timing dismiss the action. Bridgeport v. Barbour-Daniel Elecs., Inc., 16 Conn. App. 574 (1988).
3. Non-renewal vs. lapse-of-time. Connecticut treats expiration of a fixed-term lease as a "lapse of time" ground; it is not necessary to send a "non-renewal" letter as a separate prerequisite (though best practice). For periodic tenancies (month-to-month), the landlord must terminate the periodic tenancy by NTQ specifying lapse of time as the ground.
4. Federal subsidized housing. Project-based Section 8, public housing, RAD, and similar programs require "good cause" for any non-renewal — lapse of time alone is insufficient. Section 8 voucher landlords may not terminate during the initial term except for the limited grounds in 24 C.F.R. § 982.310.
5. Mobile manufactured home parks. § 21-80 limits termination of a mobile-home park resident to enumerated grounds including nonpayment of rent, material noncompliance, change in use of the land, etc. Lapse of time alone is generally insufficient.
6. Use-and-occupancy disclaimer. § 47a-23(e) authorizes landlords to accept use-and-occupancy payments after NTQ without waiving the notice. The disclaimer must be in writing.
7. Right to Counsel pilot. Hartford and New Haven were the original P.A. 21-34 sites; expansion has continued through 2025–2026. Verify current ZIP code coverage at EvictionHelpCT.org.
8. CHRO complaints. A tenant may file a discrimination complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) within 300 days of the discriminatory act, separate from the summary process action.
9. No-cause termination is not "no-reason." While the landlord need not prove a reason on the face of the NTQ, the tenant may raise retaliation and discrimination as defenses, shifting the burden to the landlord to articulate a legitimate business reason.

8. SOURCES AND REFERENCES

Statutes

• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23 — Notice to quit (Justia)
• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23a — Summary process complaint
• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23c — Protected tenants — elderly/disabled (Justia)
• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-3d — Term of tenancy where no agreement
• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15 — Pretermination Kapa cure notice
• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-20 — Retaliatory action prohibited
• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-43 — Self-help / forcible entry and detainer
• Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-64c — Discriminatory housing practices (Justia)
• Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 21-79 to 21-82a — Mobile manufactured homes
• 34 U.S.C. § 12491 — Violence Against Women Act housing protections

Connecticut General Assembly

• Chapter 830 — Rights and Responsibilities of Landlord and Tenant
• Chapter 832 — Summary Process

Connecticut Judicial Branch

• A Landlord's Guide to Eviction (Summary Process)
• A Tenant's Guide to Summary Process
• Right to Counsel Notice to Tenants

Right to Counsel and Tenant Resources

• Eviction Help CT
• Connecticut Bar Foundation — Right to Counsel
• CT Fair Housing Center
• GLAD Law — Connecticut Housing Discrimination

Key Cases

• Bridgeport v. Barbour-Daniel Elecs., Inc., 16 Conn. App. 574 (1988) (strict construction)
• Borst v. Ruff, 137 Conn. 359 (1950) (waiver by acceptance of rent)
• Sullivan v. Nameaug Walk-In Med. Ctr., 35 Conn. App. 185 (1994) (lapse of time)

END OF NOTICE — LAPSE OF TIME