New Locks Under a Protective Order
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7b — an answer within six hours, and the locks changed within 48
A tenant named as the protected person in a protective or restraining order that is in effect and requires the other person to stay away from the tenant's home, or a set distance from the tenant, may ask the landlord to change the locks, with a copy of the order.
Who handles this in Connecticut: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Connecticut directory.
- Not later than six hours after the request, the landlord says whether the landlord will change the locks or let the tenant do it.
- A landlord who agrees changes them not later than forty eight hours after the request.
- If the landlord does neither, the tenant may change them in a workmanlike way with locks of similar or better quality, and gives the landlord a key within two business days.
- The landlord may charge the actual reasonable cost, but an unpaid charge is never grounds for an eviction.
Sources for this section (1)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-7b — Request to change dwelling unit locks when tenant is named as a protected person in a protective or restraining order
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Connecticut attorney.