Connecticut Rental Application Form

A Connecticut rental application form helps a landlord choose a prospective tenant who is well suited to rent a particular property. The form requests personal and employment information plus consent for a credit check (sometimes called a consumer report). Applications often collect a non-refundable fee, commonly equal to the cost of getting the relevant screening reports.

Connecticut Rental Application Laws

Connecticut has minimal regulations on the content or process of a rental application. Unlike some states, Connecticut does not cap application fees or require a specific recipient. In general, if the landlord wants the application fee to be nonrefundable, this must be noted in a clear writing to the prospective tenant (which can be part of the application form).

Quick Guide To Process a Connecticut Rental Application

1. Verify Credit – Order a credit report for the potential tenant; a score of 600-650 is a common minimum requirement. A credit report can be as simple as a “pass/fail” result or can have comprehensive details, including criminal history. ( NOTE: a credit report requires the tenant’s written and signed consent, on the application or separately )
2. Verify Income – Check the potential tenant’s employment status and pay scale. This can be done through recent pay stubs and/or contacting the potential tenant’s employer.
3. Check Rental History – Contact previous landlord(s) to confirm a potential tenant has in the past been a good renter and neighbor.
4. Check Eviction History – Verify the potential tenant has honestly disclosed the details of any past evictions. An eviction check usually covers a longer period (previous 7 years) than a rental history check (previous 3 years).
5. Check Criminal History – Confirm the potential tenant’s reporting of any criminal history, especially including a check of criminal databases like sex offender registries.
6. Provide a Response – Approve the application if it’s a good fit, or, if rejecting the application, draft an appropriate adverse action notice to limit liability.

Checking Eviction History in Connecticut

Connecticut eviction cases are matters of public record which anyone can access. While third-party services often automatically check eviction history as part of a screening report, this also can be checked manually, with the following process:

• Visit the Connecticut Judicial Branch Case Look-Up
• Select “Civil/ Family/ Housing/ Small Claims Case” under “Superior Court Case Look-Up”
• Select the “By Party Name” search option to access the Party Name Search page
• Enter the applicant’s name (and previous jurisdiction, if known) to access civil court documents

Restrictions on Connecticut Rental Application Questions

The sample rental application provided on this page complies with federal law restricting the information a landlord can request. In general, it’s illegal under the Federal Fair Housing Act to screen tenants by asking for information about the following, or using these as a basis for approving or denying an application:

• Race
• Color
• National origin (nationality)
• Religion
• Sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity)
• Familial status (i.e., having or not having children)
• Disability (whether physical or mental)

Connecticut state law also protects some additional categories, such as age, marital status, military status, and public/rental assistance status. There are narrow exemptions for things like senior housing or certain very-small scale landlords, but local regulations may still apply. Always consult an attorney before attempting to ignore state or federal requirements.

Rejecting an Application: Adverse Action Notice

When taking an action which may disadvantage a potential tenant, a landlord may have to provide an adverse action notice informing the tenant about the decision (sometimes called a “conditional approval,” if the application is approved subject to meeting additional conditions). Federal regulations require an adverse action notice whenever a landlord collects a credit report and takes one of the following actions:

• Rejecting the potential tenant’s application
• Adding a requirement for someone to co-sign the potential tenant’s lease
• Demanding a larger security deposit than before, as a condition for renting
• Asking for higher rent after receiving the report

Important Features of an Adverse Action Notice

An adverse action notice must contain the following details:

• Note that the landlord took adverse action based on information in a consumer credit report
• Details of the consumer reporting agency
• Note that the landlord decided the adverse action, not the agency
• Declaration of the applicant’s right to a copy of the consumer credit report
• Declaration of the application’s right to dispute the report within 60 calendar days

While not legally required, it also is expedient for a landlord to explain the reasons for the adverse action, since this establishes a written record of issues with the application.

Fees in Connecticut

Connecticut has the following regulations on fees relating to a new rental:

• Rental Application Limit: $50 for tenant screening, amount adjusted annually by the Housing Commission [1]
• Security Deposit Limit: Two months’ rent (one month, for applicants over age 62)
• Pet Fee Limit: No cap, but any pet fees count toward the security deposit maximum

Local jurisdictions may impose stricter regulations than the statewide standard. Always check local laws.

Sources

(b) No landlord may demand from a prospective tenant any payment, fee or charge for the processing, review or acceptance of any rental application, or demand any other payment, fee or charge before or at the beginning of the tenancy, except a security deposit pursuant to section 47a-21 of the general statutes, advance payment for the first month’s rent or a deposit for a key or any special equipment, or a fee for a tenant screening report as provided in subsection (c) of this section. No landlord may charge a tenant a move-in or move-out fee. (c) On and after October 1, 2023, a landlord may charge a fee not exceeding fifty dollars plus an adjustment reflecting any increase in the consumer price index for urban consumers, as determined by the Commissioner of Housing on an annual basis, for a tenant screening report concerning a prospective tenant. (d) A landlord that charges a fee for a tenant screening report concerning a prospective tenant shall provide the prospective tenant with (1) a copy of the tenant screening report or, if the landlord is prohibited from providing such a copy, information concerning such report that would allow such tenant to request a copy of such report from the service provider that produced such report, and (2) a copy of the receipt or invoice from the entity conducting the tenant screening report concerning the prospective tenant.