Connecticut Security Deposit Deadline in 2026: 21 Days, Itemized Deductions & Forwarding Address
Connecticut generally requires a security-deposit refund or itemized deductions within 21 days after tenancy ends, subject to the written forwarding-address rule.
The short answer
Connecticut General Statutes § 47a-21(d)(2) requires a residential landlord, after a tenancy ends, to deliver either the full security deposit plus accrued interest or the remaining balance plus accrued interest after lawful deductions, together with a written statement itemizing the nature and amount of the claimed damages. The deadline is not later than 21 days after termination of the tenancy or 15 days after the landlord receives written notice of the tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later.
That timing makes the exact move-out date, the date a written forwarding address was received, and the date and contents of the landlord's accounting central to a dispute. A later or more detailed accounting does not erase the need to evaluate what was delivered within the statutory period, but this guide does not decide whether a particular landlord's notice legally complied.
How Connecticut's 21-day and 15-day clocks fit together
If the landlord already has the tenant's written forwarding address when the tenancy ends, the ordinary statutory reference point is the 21-day period after termination. If the forwarding address is supplied later, § 47a-21(d)(2) uses 15 days after the landlord receives that written address when that produces the later deadline.
Connecticut's Department of Banking gives the same current guidance and recommends that tenants provide the forwarding address in writing and keep a copy. Preserve the exact notice, delivery proof, lease-end or surrender records, key-return evidence, and the envelope, email or portal timestamp showing when the accounting was sent.
What the itemized statement must say
The statute requires a written statement itemizing the nature and amount of damages deducted from the deposit. The Department of Banking likewise says the notice must itemize the nature and amount of tenant damages, including any unpaid rent or utility payments, and be accompanied by any remaining balance plus interest.
A description such as a single undifferentiated labor-and-materials total should be compared with that statutory nature-and-amount requirement. Whether a particular statement is sufficiently itemized can be fact-specific, so preserve every version of the accounting rather than assuming that a vague or late statement automatically determines the outcome.
Connecticut law does not say every receipt must be attached
Section 47a-21 requires the written statement to itemize the nature and amount of the claimed damages, but it does not expressly require every contractor receipt, invoice, time sheet, or paid bill to be attached to the statutory notice. Connecticut appellate authority cited in the official statute compilation states that, in the circumstances addressed there, nothing more was statutorily required beyond the written statement itemizing the nature and amount when alleged damages exceeded the deposit and interest.
That does not make supporting evidence irrelevant. Photos, invoices, estimates, work orders, maintenance records, and testimony can matter when the existence, cause, or amount of a deduction is disputed. A tenant can ask for supporting records without describing attached receipts as a universal statutory requirement.
Move-in evidence can be especially important
For rental agreements entered into on or after January 1, 2024, Connecticut law requires a landlord to offer a preoccupancy walk-through before the tenant moves in. If the tenant requests it, the parties use the state checklist to record existing conditions, defects, or damage and sign copies.
Section 47a-7c says a landlord may not retain security-deposit money or seek payment for a condition, defect, or damage that was noted on that preoccupancy checklist. Even when that specific checklist rule does not apply to an older tenancy, dated move-in photos, inspection records, maintenance requests, and other condition evidence can still help establish what existed before move-out.
Interest is part of Connecticut's deposit settlement
Connecticut treats the security deposit as the tenant's property held in escrow, subject to the landlord's security interest. The Department of Banking lists the 2026 rental security-deposit interest rate as 0.49% and explains that accrued interest is generally part of the amount returned at termination.
There are statutory details affecting interest, including months in which rent was more than ten days late unless the landlord imposed an agreed late charge. Do not calculate a disputed final balance from the deposit amount alone without checking the applicable interest and payment history.
Remedies exist, but do not assume the result before the facts are reviewed
Section 47a-21(d)(2) states that a landlord who violates that subsection is liable for twice the amount of the security deposit, with a different formula when the only violation is failure to deliver accrued interest. The Department of Banking describes the consequence more cautiously for consumers: a landlord who misses the statutory return-or-notice requirements may have to pay twice the security deposit, and a tenant may pursue the remedy in court.
A contested case can still turn on when the tenancy ended, when the forwarding address was received, what was actually delivered, the claimed tenant obligations, and any defenses. Connecticut's Department of Banking accepts security-deposit complaints, while qualifying disputes can also be brought in small claims or another court with jurisdiction. Preserve the record before choosing a remedy.
Build a clean evidence file before disputing the accounting
Keep the signed lease and addenda, proof of the deposit, written forwarding-address notice and delivery proof, the move-out or tenancy-termination date, key-return records, every version of the landlord's damage statement, envelopes and timestamps, any refund payment, move-in and move-out photos or video, the preoccupancy checklist if one exists, inspection reports, maintenance requests, invoices or estimates that were provided, and messages about the claimed work.
Max Rental Tools includes a Forwarding Address Request, Move-In Condition Report, Move-Out Condition Report, Security Deposit Itemization, Security Deposit Refund Statement, and Property Photo Evidence Log. These tools can help organize the timeline and evidence, while Connecticut General Statutes § 47a-21 and current Connecticut government guidance remain the controlling authorities.
Common questions
How long does a Connecticut landlord have to return a security deposit in 2026?
Section 47a-21(d)(2) uses the later of 21 days after termination of the tenancy or 15 days after the landlord receives written notice of the tenant's forwarding address.
What must a Connecticut security-deposit deduction statement include?
The statute requires a written statement itemizing the nature and amount of the claimed damages, delivered with any remaining deposit balance and accrued interest.
Does Connecticut law require every receipt or contractor invoice to be attached?
The statute expressly requires itemization of the nature and amount of claimed damages, but it does not expressly impose a universal requirement that every receipt or contractor invoice be attached to the statutory notice. Supporting records can still matter in a dispute.
Why does a written forwarding address matter in Connecticut?
The statutory deadline is the later of 21 days after tenancy termination or 15 days after receipt of the written forwarding address, so proof of when that address was delivered can affect the timeline.
What is Connecticut's 2026 security-deposit interest rate?
The Connecticut Department of Banking lists the 2026 rental security-deposit interest rate as 0.49%, subject to the statutory rules governing interest.
Is double the deposit automatically paid whenever a Connecticut landlord misses a deadline?
Do not assume an automatic payment without reviewing the facts. Section 47a-21(d)(2) contains a twice-the-deposit liability rule for violations of that subsection, but a dispute can require a court to determine whether a violation occurred and what facts or defenses apply.
Official sources
Connecticut General Assembly — CGS § 47a-21 Security DepositsConnecticut General Assembly — 2026 Supplement, Title 47aConnecticut Department of Banking — Rental Security DepositsConnecticut Department of Banking — Rental Security Deposit ComplaintsConnecticut General Assembly — CGS § 47a-7c Walk-Through InspectionsContinue your check
Use the state directory for current jurisdiction-specific rules, calculate the proposed increase, then prepare the appropriate rental document only after the legal-rule checks are complete.