Connecticut Late Rent Fee Laws: Limits, Grace Periods, and Penalties
What Connecticut landlords can charge when rent is late, how long they must wait, and what an illegal fee costs. Last reviewed 2026-08-16.
How much can a landlord charge in Connecticut?
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a(b) caps a late charge at the lesser of (1) five dollars per day up to a maximum of fifty dollars, or (2) five percent of the delinquent rent payment. Where rent is paid in whole or part by a government or charitable entity, the 5% is measured against the tenant's share only. The landlord may not assess more than one late charge on a delinquent rent payment, no matter how long the rent stays unpaid. This cap was added by Public Act 23-207 and took effect in 2023; before that, Connecticut regulated only the grace period.
How late does rent have to be?
Under § 47a-15a(a), rent is not actionably late until nine days after the due date, or four days for a one-week tenancy, and the statute names those windows the 'grace period.' A late charge may only be assessed on a rent payment made after the grace period expires, and § 47a-4(a)(8) makes any lease clause charging a fee sooner unenforceable.
Does the fee have to be in the lease?
Section 47a-15a(b) permits a late charge only where the rental agreement contains a valid written agreement to pay one, consistent with § 47a-4(a). A lease clause that exceeds the statutory cap is likewise unenforceable under § 47a-4(a)(9) and (b).
What happens if you charge too much?
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4(b) makes any prohibited provision — including a fee charged before the grace period or above the statutory cap — unenforceable, so the tenant simply does not owe it. A landlord who systematically overcharges can also face a claim under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, which allows actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.
Returned payment fees
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-565a(i) permits a service charge of up to $20 per dishonored check, and only one charge per check. Note that § 52-565a(d)(2) bars the statute's larger bad-check damages entirely when the check was given as payment for the rental of residential premises.
Recent changes to the law
Public Act 23-207 (2023) added Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a(b), which for the first time caps late charges at the lesser of $5 per day up to $50 or 5% of the delinquent rent, and limits landlords to one late charge per delinquent payment. The same act added § 47a-4(a)(9), making any lease clause exceeding that cap unenforceable.
What Connecticut landlords get wrong
Read the cap carefully: it is the lesser of the two measures, so for most Connecticut rents the 5% figure never applies. On $1,800 rent, 5% would be $90, but the $5-per-day track caps out at $50, so $50 is your ceiling — and you only reach it after ten days past the grace period. Below roughly $1,000 rent the 5% branch becomes the binding limit. One charge per delinquent payment means you cannot re-bill the same missed rent in a later month. Older guides still describe Connecticut as having a nine-day grace period and no cap; that was true until Public Act 23-207 added subsection (b) in 2023, so do not rely on pre-2023 sources.
The law itself
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum late fee for rent in Connecticut?
The lesser of $5 per day capped at $50 total, or 5% of the delinquent rent payment. For rents above roughly $1,000 the $50 ceiling controls; below that, the 5% figure is usually lower and binds instead. Only one late charge may be assessed per delinquent rent payment, regardless of how long the rent remains unpaid.
How many days late before a landlord can charge a late fee in Connecticut?
Nine days for a monthly tenancy, or four days for a week-to-week tenancy. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15a calls these the grace period, and § 47a-4(a)(8) makes any lease clause charging a late fee before the grace period expires unenforceable. The daily $5 accrual can only start once the grace period has run.
Can a Connecticut landlord charge a late fee every month rent stays unpaid?
No. Section 47a-15a(b) states that the landlord may not assess more than one late charge upon a delinquent rent payment, regardless of how long the rent remains unpaid. You can charge one fee per missed payment, up to the statutory cap, but you cannot re-bill the same overdue month again later or stack charges beyond the ceiling.
Did Connecticut late fee laws change recently?
Yes. Public Act 23-207 added the late charge cap to § 47a-15a in 2023. Before that, Connecticut set a nine-day grace period but no maximum amount, and many older guides still say so. Since 2023 the fee is limited to the lesser of $5 per day up to $50 or 5% of the delinquent rent, with one charge per late payment.
Keep reading
Charging the wrong late fee can cost you more than the rent.
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Start Free TrialThis page is general information, not legal advice. Statutes change — verify against the official text linked above or consult a local attorney before acting.