Connecticut Security Deposit Return: The 30-Day Deadline (2026)

How long a landlord has to return your deposit, and what you can claim if they miss it

At a glance

Return deadline: 30 days after vacating
Measured from: Termination of the tenancy (the date the tenant vacates), provided the tenant gave written notice of a forwarding address
Penalty for late or wrongful withholding: 2x (applies automatically)
Deposit cap: Two months' rent (reduced to one month's rent for tenants 62 years of age or older) — § 47a-21(b).
Small claims cap: $5,000

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers residential security deposits in Connecticut, where a landlord has kept some or all of a deposit after a tenancy ends.

It does not cover:

Commercial leases
Deposits held in an escrow account or with a third party
Disputes about damage charges in an ongoing (not ended) tenancy
Any state other than Connecticut

Lease terms and local ordinances can change what applies. Where a city has its own deposit rules, those may differ from the state statute below.

What the statute actually says

30days

Measured from Termination of the tenancy (the date the tenant vacates), provided the tenant gave written notice of a forwarding address.

The landlord must return the deposit plus interest within 30 days after termination of the tenancy (measured from the date the tenant vacates, not the notice date). EXCEPTION: if the tenant fails to provide a written forwarding address, the landlord need not return the deposit until 15 days after receipt of the forwarding address in writing.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)(2) ↗

Penalties

A landlord who withholds in bad faith may be liable for 2x the full deposit.

If the landlord fails to return the deposit (with interest) or provide the written itemized notice of damages within the statutory time limits, the landlord must pay the tenant TWICE the amount of the security deposit. No bad-faith finding is required.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d) ↗

Working out your own deadline

The clock does not start on the day you decided to leave. In Connecticut it starts Termination of the tenancy (the date the tenant vacates), provided the tenant gave written notice of a forwarding address — for most leases that is the date you hand back the keys, not the date your notice period began.

Find the date you vacated and returned the keys. Write it down; everything else depends on it.
Add 30 calendar days. Count calendar days, not business days.
If the landlord has provided a forwarding address, check the statute for whether the deadline is shortened — in some states it is.
Note the date the deadline falls on. If the deposit has not arrived by then, the clock for the penalty starts running.

Common landlord defences and how to answer them

““You never gave me a forwarding address.””

Without my written address, you had a temporary extension — but only until 15 days after receiving my address. Here it is in writing. Your 30-day return obligation (and the double-damages exposure for missing it) is otherwise unchanged.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)

““I deducted for damages.””

You must provide a written notice itemizing the nature and amount of any damages, with the remaining balance and interest, within 30 days. If you did not, you owe me twice my security deposit.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)

““I do not pay interest on deposits.””

Connecticut law requires you to pay interest on my deposit (the deposit index rate) annually. Unpaid interest is owed along with the deposit itself.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(i)

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked against the source.

Statute	Last verified	Source
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)(2)	2026-10-15	official text ↗
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)	2026-10-15	official text ↗
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21	2026-10-15	official text ↗
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(i)	2026-10-15	official text ↗

Primary reference: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21 (Security Deposit Act). Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Amendments are recorded on the site changelog.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help letter is the right starting point for a single deposit you can document. Get legal help if:

You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
The amount in dispute exceeds $5,000
Your landlord has filed anything in court already

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More Connecticut guides

Connecticut Security Deposit Rules

→ All Connecticut tenant rights topics

Common questions

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

30 days, counted from Termination of the tenancy (the date the tenant vacates), provided the tenant gave written notice of a forwarding address. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)(2).

Can I claim more than my deposit back in Connecticut?

A landlord who withholds in bad faith may be liable for 2x the full deposit. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(d)

Does the 30-day deadline in Connecticut start when I give notice or when I move out?

It runs from Termination of the tenancy (the date the tenant vacates), provided the tenant gave written notice of a forwarding address — the date you vacated and returned the keys, not the date your notice period began.

Do I need a lawyer to file a deposit claim in Connecticut?

No — Connecticut small claims (Superior Court) handles civil claims up to $5,000. Attorney representation is permitted but not required.