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Housing & Tenant · Rent Late Fees

Rent Late Fee Limit in Connecticut

The most a landlord can charge you for paying rent late in Connecticut, the grace period you may be owed, and what to do about an unfair fee, cited to the statute.

Confirmedagainst §47a-15aReviewed by Cholilurrohman · July 2026
Most a late fee can be · Connecticut
Lesser of $5/day up to $50, or 5%, once only
Hard cap
Connecticut gives a nine-day grace period, caps the late charge at the lesser of 5 dollars a day up to 50 dollars or 5 percent of the delinquent rent, and allows only one charge no matter how long the rent stays unpaid.
Maximum late feeLesser of $5/day up to $50, or 5%, once only
Grace period9 days
Must be in the leaseRecommended
Statute§47a-15a

The cap and the grace period in Connecticut

The most a late fee can be, when it can be charged, and whether it has to be in your lease.

Maximum late feeThe late charge may not exceed the lesser of two figures: 5 dollars per day up to a maximum of 50 dollars, or 5 percent of the delinquent rent payment. This is the lesser of the two, which favors the renter and is the exact opposite of Colorado, even though both use the number 5 percent. Crucially, the landlord may not assess more than one late charge on a delinquent rent payment, no matter how long the rent stays unpaid, which stops the compounding that turns a missed month into an unpayable debt.
Grace periodRent is late only after a nine-day grace period, or four days for a one-week tenancy. A fee cannot attach before that.
Must be written in the leaseA late fee is enforceable only if your lease provides for it. Check the lease first.
Local ordinanceConnecticut fair rent commissions have jurisdiction over rental charges, which is defined to include fees in addition to rent. That may reach an excessive late fee, which is a genuinely useful local route in a state that otherwise prices no penalty. Check whether your town has a fair rent commission.
How it is enforcedThe statute itself does not price a penalty for overcharging, but the one-charge-only rule and the nine-day grace period are firm limits a renter can enforce as a defense. Where a fair rent commission exists, its jurisdiction over rental charges may reach an excessive late fee.
StatuteConn. Gen. Stat. §47a-15a
Recent or pending change

The cap and the one-charge rule are recent, added by P.A. 23-207. Guides describing Connecticut as allowing a reasonable late fee are pre-2023 and out of date.

What you can do right now

Concrete, neutral steps if a Connecticut late fee looks too high or came with no grace period. This is legal information, not legal advice.

  1. Count the nine-day grace period

    Connecticut rent is not late until nine days pass, or four days for a weekly tenancy. A late charge before that is improper under C.G.S. 47a-15a.

  2. Apply the lesser-of formula

    The cap is the lesser of 5 dollars per day up to 50 dollars, or 5 percent of the delinquent rent. Work out both and the smaller one is your ceiling, which is the renter-friendly direction.

  3. Refuse a second late charge

    Only one late charge is allowed per delinquent payment, regardless of how many months pass. If a landlord stacks a second fee on the same late rent, point to the one-charge rule.

  4. Check for a fair rent commission

    If your town has a fair rent commission, its jurisdiction over rental charges may reach an excessive late fee. Contact it or a local legal aid office. Search for legal aid in your area.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the fee that applies to your home.

What Connecticut renters get wrong

Connecticut and Colorado both cap late fees at five percent and they mean opposite things by it. Connecticut says the lesser of two figures, Colorado says the greater, and on a modest rent that one word is the whole outcome. Under C.G.S. 47a-15a the ceiling is the lesser of five dollars per day up to fifty dollars, or five percent of the delinquent rent, which is the renter-friendly direction. Connecticut then adds the rule that matters most to anyone who falls seriously behind: one late charge per late payment, full stop, no matter how many months pass. That single sentence prevents the compounding that turns one missed month into a debt a renter cannot clear, and almost no other state has it. There is also a nine-day grace period before rent counts as late at all, four days for a weekly tenancy. The cap and the one-charge rule are recent, added in 2023, so any guide describing Connecticut as allowing a reasonable late fee is out of date.

Common questions

Can my landlord charge a late fee every month the rent is unpaid in Connecticut?

No. C.G.S. 47a-15a bars a landlord from assessing more than one late charge on a delinquent rent payment, no matter how long the rent stays unpaid. That one-charge rule is one of the strongest renter protections in the country.

Is my rent late on day one or day ten in Connecticut?

Rent is not late until a nine-day grace period passes, or four days for a one-week tenancy. So a late fee cannot attach before that grace period runs, which is longer than most states allow.

Which cap applies to my rent, the dollar one or the percentage in Connecticut?

Whichever is smaller. The cap is the lesser of 5 dollars per day up to 50 dollars, or 5 percent of the delinquent rent. Work out both figures and the smaller one is your ceiling, which favors the renter.

Can a fair rent commission look at late fees in Connecticut?

Possibly. Connecticut fair rent commissions have jurisdiction over rental charges, defined to include fees in addition to rent, which may reach an excessive late fee. If your town has one, it can be a useful route, so check locally.

Primary source
→ Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-15a
Connecticut General Statutes (§ 47a-15a) · cga.ct.gov
Cholilurrohman
Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. Editorial standards →

Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.

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