New legislation proposed by Connecticut Republicans would tear down a variety of protections for renting families by eliminating fair rent commissions, allowing landlords to charge unlimited security deposits and permitting them to throw away the personal property of evicted tenants.
Last month, legislative Democrats outlined proposals aimed at reducing the cost of housing in Connecticut by addressing the state’s persistent shortage of homes. A flurry of bills from Senate Republicans suggest the legislature’s minority party has instead prioritized eradicating existing protections for working families struggling with housing costs.
Here’s a breakdown of just a few of the GOP’s anti-renter proposals:
Senate Bill 678: An Act Concerning the Amount a Landlord May Require for a Security Deposit
Connecticut law contains reasonable limits on the amount of money a landlord can demand from a tenant for a security deposit. Generally speaking, the law limits security deposits to no more than two months’ rent. However, Connecticut has enacted special protections for renters over the age of 62 years old, who can be charged no more than one month’s rent for a security deposit.
Republicans in the House and Senate have introduced SB678, which would eliminate all these limits, effectively freeing landlords to demand as much money as they want from renters regardless of their age.
Senate Bill 517: An Act Prohibiting State or Municipal Fair Rent Commissions
Fair rent commissions exist to stop excessive or unconscionable rent increases. In 2022, legislative Democrats expanded these protections to renters in any municipality with at least 14,000 residents.
Connecticut Republicans aren’t looking to just scale back these rent protections, they’re proposing to eradicate them altogether. Senate Bill 517 from Senate Republicans would prohibit any fair rent commissions in any municipality in Connecticut and “require the termination of any existing commission or authority.”
Families who have been evicted from their homes currently have 15 days to reclaim their property and personal effects under a state law that requires municipalities to store this property for just over two weeks at the evicted tenant’s expense.
Through Senate Bill 516, a Connecticut Republican has proposed to scrap this window for families to reclaim their property, enabling landlords to dispose of an evicted family’s personal effects.
Two years ago, the Greater Hartford Legal Aid submitted testimony in opposition to a similar bill, saying the proposal would compound the hardship of already desperate families who are often elderly, caring for young children, managing disabilities, or facing insurmountable barriers to finding a home.
Finally, a Connecticut Senate Republican has proposed to give landlords the authority to bill families, who are already struggling to afford housing, for the cost of storing their possessions after they have been evicted from their homes.
Learn about more CT GOP proposals, including:
- CT Republicans Target the Minimum Wage
- CT Republicans Propose Bill on Chemtrails Conspiracy
- CT Republicans Work to Undermine Child Vaccine Coverage
Or learn about legislation by Senate Democrats to reduce the costs of prescription drugs, essential goods, and energy rates.
