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Connecticut Eviction Notice

Quick answer: for unpaid rent, Connecticut requires 3 days under Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-23 (served as a notice to quit) before an eviction case can be filed. The table and sections below cover the other grounds, the service rules, and the step-by-step process.

Before a landlord can file an eviction case in Connecticut, the tenant must receive a written notice that states what is wrong and how long they have to fix it or move out. In Connecticut, a landlord must generally give 3 days' notice to pay rent or quit under Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-23.

This template generates a Connecticut eviction notice for nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, or the end of the tenancy. You set the notice period so the document matches the current Connecticut requirement for your situation.

Create your Connecticut eviction noticeRead the full Eviction Notice guide

Connecticut notice periods

Connecticut eviction notice periods by notice type
Notice typeMinimum noticeStatute
Nonpayment of rent (pay or quit)3 days (served as a notice to quit)Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-23
Lease violation (cure or quit)15 daysConn. Gen. Stat. 47a-15
No-fault termination (month to month)No single fixed period: check your state statute before serving.See your state statute

Verify before you rely on it

Landlord-tenant statutes change, and cities or counties can add stricter local rules. Confirm the current Connecticut requirement in the statute cited above (or with your local court's self-help resources) before serving your notice.

Connecticut eviction notice requirements

For unpaid rent, Connecticut law sets the notice period at 3 days (Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-23). The notice must tell the tenant how much rent is owed and give them the full statutory period to pay it or move out. One nuance to keep in mind: served as a notice to quit. If the tenant pays everything demanded within the period, the nonpayment ground normally disappears and the landlord cannot file on that notice.

If the tenant breached another lease term (an unauthorized occupant, property damage, a prohibited pet), Connecticut gives them 15 days to cure the violation or move out under Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-15. Vague notices are the classic weak point here: name the clause breached and the facts, with dates.

For ending a month-to-month tenancy without fault, this page does not cite a fixed Connecticut period, because the rule is either not uniform or subject to conditions that do not compress into one number. Check the current Connecticut statute, and remember that local rent regulation or just-cause ordinances can add requirements on top of state law.

Do not improvise the delivery. Eviction statutes list the service methods a court will accept (personal delivery, substituted service on another occupant, post and mail, or mail variants), and a notice served the wrong way can be treated as no notice at all. Verify the methods Connecticut authorizes, follow one to the letter, and write down when and how you served it.

Keep in mind what the notice legally is: the mandatory first step of a court process. Once the Connecticut period expires with no payment or cure, the landlord files an eviction action and a judge decides. Locking the tenant out, hauling belongings to the curb, or shutting off utilities without a judgment is the kind of self-help that turns a strong case into a liability problem.

How to complete a eviction notice in Connecticut, step by step

Here is how landlords typically take an eviction notice from blank page to served document in Connecticut. Each step protects the notice against the objections tenants most commonly raise in court.

  1. Confirm the ground for the notice. Identify precisely why you are serving it: unpaid rent, a specific lease violation, or a no-fault end of a month-to-month tenancy. The ground determines which Connecticut notice period applies and what the notice must say, so getting this wrong invalidates everything that follows.
  2. Apply the correct notice period. Match the period to the ground using the Connecticut table above. For nonpayment, that is 3 days (Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-23). Count days carefully and, when in doubt, give more time rather than less: a short notice is defective, a generous one is not.
  3. Fill in the notice completely. Name every adult tenant on the lease, state the full rental property address including the unit, and describe the demand exactly: the amount of rent owed and the period it covers, or the violation and how to cure it. Ambiguity in this document becomes the tenant's argument in court.
  4. Serve it by an authorized method. Use a delivery method Connecticut law authorizes for eviction notices and follow it exactly. If you post the notice, mail a copy too when the statute pairs the two. Never rely on a text message or an email alone unless the statute expressly allows it.
  5. Keep proof of service. Note the date, time, place, and method of delivery, and keep a copy of the signed notice. Many landlords have a third party serve it and sign a short declaration of service. This record is what you will hand the Connecticut court if the tenant claims they were never notified.
  6. Wait out the period, then file if needed. If the tenant pays, cures, or moves out within the period, the matter ends there. If not, file an eviction case with the Connecticut court that handles landlord-tenant matters in your county. Bring the lease, the notice, the proof of service, and your payment records.

How this template works in Connecticut

Answer guided questions about the landlord, the tenant, and the amounts owed, then enter the Connecticut notice period from the table above. The finished notice is ready to serve and download in Word and PDF.

The form, the live preview, and the full guide live on the main Eviction Notice page.

Connecticut eviction notice FAQ

How much notice does a landlord have to give before an eviction in Connecticut?

For unpaid rent, Connecticut requires 3 days under Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-23 (served as a notice to quit). Other grounds have their own periods: 15 days to cure a lease violation (Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-15), and no-fault terminations follow the current statute; check it before serving.

Can a landlord evict a tenant in Connecticut without going to court?

No. The notice is only the mandatory first step: if the tenant does not pay, cure, or leave within the period, the landlord must file an eviction case and obtain a judgment before the tenant can be removed. Changing the locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities without a court order exposes the landlord to liability.

What happens if the tenant pays the rent after getting an eviction notice in Connecticut?

Paying the full amount demanded within the notice period generally cures a nonpayment default, and the landlord cannot file an eviction case based on that notice. Partial payments are different: accepting one can restart or complicate the process depending on the statute and the lease, so decide deliberately before taking partial rent.

How long does a tenant have to fix a lease violation in Connecticut?

Connecticut gives the tenant 15 days under Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-15. The notice must describe the violation clearly enough for the tenant to know what compliance looks like. If the violation is cured within the period, the tenancy continues.

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