Connecticut bed bug law for landlords: 5 business days to inspect, 5 more to treat
Connecticut Public Act 16-51 gives a landlord 5 business days after a tenant's notice to inspect, or get a qualified inspector to inspect, the unit and contiguous units, and 5 business days after a finding of bed bugs to start treatment. The landlord pays for inspection and treatment, a tenant pays to prepare the unit, and a landlord may not rent a unit known or suspected to be infested. Detached single family homes are outside the law.
What must a Connecticut landlord do after a report?
A tenant must promptly tell the landlord, orally or in writing, when the tenant knows or reasonably suspects bed bugs. Not later than 5 business days after the notice, the landlord must inspect, or obtain an inspection by a qualified inspector, of the unit and any contiguous unit the landlord owns, leases or subleases. A qualified inspector is a certified pesticide applicator, a local health department official or a certified bed bug detection canine team. If the landlord does the inspection, the landlord must give the tenant written notice within 2 days saying whether the unit is infested, and that notice must tell the tenant to contact the local health department if still concerned, with contact information.
What are the treatment steps and deadlines?
- If the inspection finds bed bugs, the landlord must, within 5 business days of the inspection, take reasonable measures as the inspector determines, including treating or hiring a pest control agent for the unit and contiguous units. The landlord may first try to treat it.
- A landlord who treats without a pest control agent must first vacuum the areas to be treated.
- Within 5 business days after that treatment, a qualified inspector must inspect each treated unit. If it is clear, the inspector gives the landlord a written certification.
- If the unit is still infested, the landlord has 5 business days to hire a pest control agent.
Example a made-up tenant in New Haven tells the landlord by phone on a Tuesday. The inspection is due within 5 business days, so by the following Tuesday. It finds bed bugs on Monday. Treatment is due within 5 business days of that Monday, which is the next Monday.
Who pays, and what can the tenant be asked to do?
Except as the act provides, the landlord is responsible for all inspection and treatment costs. The tenant is responsible for the costs of preparing the unit and must follow reasonable inspection and treatment measures. A tenant's knowing and unreasonable failure to comply makes the tenant liable for the treatments of the unit and contiguous units that result. Entry follows Connecticut's general entry statute, section 47a-16, and the tenant may not unreasonably withhold access. Infested furniture and belongings stay in the unit until a pest control agent says treatment is complete or the landlord approves removal.
A landlord must offer reasonable help to a tenant who is not physically able to prepare, and must disclose the cost. The landlord may charge a reasonable amount on a repayment schedule not longer than 6 months unless extended by agreement. A missed payment is not a basis for a summary process (eviction) action, though the landlord may deduct what remains from the security deposit at the end of the tenancy under section 47a-21.
What must you disclose before renting?
No landlord may offer a unit the landlord knows or reasonably suspects is infested. Before renting, the landlord must disclose whether the unit or any contiguous unit the landlord owns, leases or subleases is currently infested. On request, the landlord must give the last date the unit was inspected and found free of bed bugs.
What are the remedies?
A tenant may proceed under section 47a-12 or 47a-14h. A landlord who does not comply is liable for reasonable attorneys' fees and the greater of $250 or the tenant's actual damages. A landlord may seek an injunction against a tenant who refuses access or will not follow reasonable measures, and a court may order access, which must be served at least 24 hours before entry. The law excludes a single-family unattached unit from its definition of dwelling unit. Section 1 of the act is what this post describes, so check the current codified text before relying on a detail.
How DoorKeeping fits in Connecticut
DoorKeeping keeps a Connecticut bed bug report as a dated work order, so the tenant's notice, your inspection, the pest company's visit and the follow-up are on one record, and the owner sees each one. The inspector's written certification after treatment can be filed on the same record. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current statute, your local rules and your lease before you act.
Sources
Questions
- How fast must a Connecticut landlord inspect for bed bugs?
- Not later than 5 business days after the tenant's notice, for the unit and any contiguous unit the landlord owns, leases or subleases.
- Who pays for bed bug treatment in Connecticut?
- The landlord, except that the tenant pays to prepare the unit and is liable for treatments caused by the tenant's knowing and unreasonable failure to comply.
- What is the penalty in Connecticut?
- A landlord who fails to comply owes reasonable attorneys' fees and the greater of $250 or the tenant's actual damages.