Connecticut rent late fee law
What your landlord is allowed to charge when rent is late, how soon they can charge it, and what to do about a fee the law doesn't allow.
Maximum late fee
Lesser of $5/day (max $50) or 5%
Grace period
9 days (4 for weekly rentals)
The cap
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-4(a)(8), 47a-15a, Since October 2023, Connecticut caps late charges at the lesser of $5 per day up to a maximum of $50, or 5% of the delinquent rent payment (5% of the tenant's share for subsidized tenancies). Only one late charge may be assessed per delinquent payment, no matter how long it stays unpaid — and many guides still wrongly say Connecticut has no cap.
When the fee can start
A late charge may not be imposed until a nine-day grace period after the due date has expired (four days for week-to-week tenancies). Lease clauses that charge earlier — or dress the fee up as a lost 'on-time discount' — are prohibited. The charge is only allowed if the rental agreement contains a valid written late-charge provision.
If you've been charged an illegal fee
A prohibited provision is unenforceable. A fee that exceeds the cap, arrives before the grace period ends, or has no lease basis is not lawfully owed — demand its return.
Recent changes
The cap was added by Public Act 23-207, effective October 2023 — recent enough that many landlords and most websites haven't caught up.
Charged a fee the law doesn't allow?
Answer a few questions and get a formal demand letter citing Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-4(a)(8), 47a-15a and exactly which rule your landlord broke — free to generate and download. We can also send it by USPS Certified Mail for you, with the delivery record that holds up in court.
Dispute my late feeDid your landlord also keep your security deposit?
Connecticut landlords have 21 days to return your deposit after you move out — and real penalties apply when they don't. Generate a formal demand letter citing Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21, and we can send it certified mail for you.
Demand my deposit backCommon questions
- Is there a limit on late fees for rent in Connecticut?
- Yes. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-4(a)(8), 47a-15a, Since October 2023, Connecticut caps late charges at the lesser of $5 per day up to a maximum of $50, or 5% of the delinquent rent payment (5% of the tenant's share for subsidized tenancies). Only one late charge may be assessed per delinquent payment, no matter how long it stays unpaid — and many guides still wrongly say Connecticut has no cap.
- Can my landlord charge a late fee the day rent is due in Connecticut?
- No. A late charge may not be imposed until a nine-day grace period after the due date has expired (four days for week-to-week tenancies). Lease clauses that charge earlier — or dress the fee up as a lost 'on-time discount' — are prohibited.
- What can I do if my landlord charged an illegal late fee in Connecticut?
- A prohibited provision is unenforceable. A fee that exceeds the cap, arrives before the grace period ends, or has no lease basis is not lawfully owed — demand its return.
Other Connecticut tenant rights
Landlords who get one of these wrong often get another wrong too.
Late fee laws in other states
These rules change at the state line. Every page is checked against that state's own published statute.
How this page was checked
- Read from the source. Every deadline, cap and penalty here was taken from the legislature's published text — the statute, session law or administrative code itself.
- No legal-information websites. Commercial summaries were used only to find a provision, never as authority for it. An automated check fails our build if any state we serve cites a secondary source.
- Locked against drift. The verified figures are pinned by regression tests, so a later edit cannot quietly change a deadline or a penalty.
- Last verified August 14, 2026. Laws change — confirm the current text before relying on it.
General information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm.
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