Late Rent and Late Fees
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a — a nine day grace period, then $5 a day up to $50, or five per cent if less
Rent unpaid when due may lead the landlord to end the agreement only if it is still unpaid nine days later, or four days later in a week to week tenancy, and five days more when the landlord's online payment system prevented paying on time. That is the grace period.
Who handles this in Connecticut: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Connecticut directory.
- A late charge is allowed only under a valid written agreement in the lease, and only on rent paid after the grace period.
- It may not exceed the lesser of $5 a day up to a maximum of $50, or five per cent of the late payment, the tenant's share only where a government or charity pays part.
- Only one late charge per late payment, however long it stays unpaid.
A lease term to pay a late charge before the grace period ends, or more than the section allows, is prohibited and does not count.
Sources for this section (2)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a — Nonpayment of rent by tenant: Landlord's remedy. Charges for late rent. Extension of grace period
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4 — Terms prohibited in rental agreement
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Connecticut attorney.