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Renters' Rights · Security Deposit

Security Deposit Laws in Connecticut

The most a landlord can charge, how long they have to return it, and what it costs them to keep your money without cause in Connecticut.

Reviewed by PlainStatute EditorialLast reviewed July 2026Verified against §47a-21

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Security deposit at a glance · Connecticut
2 months
is the most a landlord may charge for a security deposit in Connecticut. It must be returned within 21 days after tenancy ends, or 15 days after you give a forwarding address, whichever is later.
Maximum deposit2 months (1 if 62+)
Return deadline21 days (or 15 after address)
Interest to tenantRequired (annual, deposit index)
Separate accountRequired (escrow)
ItemizationRequired
Penalty2x the deposit
Statute§47a-21

What your landlord can hold, and when it's due back

Enter your rent for the Connecticut maximum, plus the return-deadline clock.

Deposit calculator · Connecticut
Most a landlord can hold
2 months
Enter your monthly rent to see the dollar maximum.
Return clock: 21 days after tenancy ends, or 15 days after you give a forwarding address, whichever is later
The deadline runs after the tenancy ends; if you give a written forwarding address later, the landlord instead has 15 days from that date, whichever falls later. Give your landlord a written forwarding address at move-out so the clock starts.

Estimate only, based on Connecticut's statutory cap. Your lease may set a lower deposit, and local ordinances can be stricter. Not legal advice.

The full rules, with the statute

Every requirement and where it comes from in the code.

Maximum deposit
Two months' rent, or one month's rent if the tenant is 62 or older

Exceptions: A landlord cannot demand a security deposit larger than two months' rent. If the tenant is 62 years of age or older, the cap drops to one month's rent, and a landlord who already holds more than one month's rent from a tenant who reaches 62 must return the excess on request (Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-21(b)).

Return deadline
Within 21 days after the tenancy ends, or 15 days after you give a written forwarding address, whichever is later
Interest to tenant
RequiredConnecticut requires landlords to pay interest on every security deposit. The rate for each calendar year must be at least the deposit index that the state Banking Commissioner determines and publishes annually under Conn. Gen. Stat. 36a-26 (the index tracks the average savings deposit rate). Interest is paid on the anniversary of the tenancy and each year after, either directly to the tenant or as a credit toward the next month's rent, as the landlord chooses. The published index is 0.49% for 2026 (it was 0.52% for 2025 and 0.55% for 2024).
Separate account
RequiredThe landlord must immediately place the full amount of each security deposit into one or more escrow accounts at a Connecticut financial institution and must not withdraw the money except as the statute allows.
Itemization
Required when any amount is withheld. Within the same 21-day / 15-day window, the landlord must deliver the balance of the deposit plus accrued interest along with a written statement itemizing the nature and amount of any damages deducted.

Penalties & recent changes

What happens if the landlord keeps your deposit wrongfully.

If the landlord withholds wrongfully
A landlord who fails to return the deposit as required is liable for twice the amount of the security deposit. If the only violation is failing to pay the accrued interest, the landlord is liable for ten dollars or twice the accrued interest, whichever is greater. Courts have treated the double-damages exposure as tied to a bad-faith or wrongful failure to comply.

What Connecticut renters get wrong

Connecticut ties the security deposit cap to the tenant's age: a landlord cannot demand more than two months' rent, and the limit drops to one month's rent once a tenant is 62 or older (Conn. Gen. Stat. 47a-21). Connecticut is also one of the states that requires interest on your deposit. The rate is set each year by the state Banking Commissioner as the "deposit index," which follows the average savings deposit rate, and it must be paid on the anniversary of your tenancy or credited toward your rent. Your landlord must hold the full deposit in an escrow account at a Connecticut financial institution. After you move out, the landlord has 21 days to return the deposit with interest, or 15 days after you provide a written forwarding address, whichever is later. If a landlord wrongfully fails to return your deposit, you can recover twice the amount of the deposit.

Common questions

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Connecticut?

No more than two months' rent. If you are 62 years of age or older, the cap is one month's rent, and if you turn 62 during your tenancy and the landlord holds more than one month's rent, you can ask for the excess back.

How long does a landlord have to return my deposit in Connecticut?

The landlord must return your deposit with accrued interest, or send a written statement of any deductions, within 21 days after your tenancy ends, or within 15 days after you give a written forwarding address, whichever is later.

Does my Connecticut landlord have to pay interest on my security deposit?

Yes. Connecticut requires interest on security deposits at a rate at least equal to the deposit index the Banking Commissioner publishes each year (0.49% for 2026). The interest is paid on the anniversary of your tenancy, either directly to you or as a credit against your rent.

What happens if my Connecticut landlord wrongfully keeps my deposit?

A landlord who fails to return the deposit as the law requires is liable for twice the amount of the deposit. If the only problem is unpaid interest, the landlord owes ten dollars or twice the accrued interest, whichever is greater.

Primary source
→ Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-21
Connecticut General Assembly, Chapter 831 (Conn. Gen. Stat. §47a-21) · cga.ct.gov
PlainStatute Editorial
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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