Connecticut General Statutes 47a-7c – Walk-through inspections prior to occupancy
(a) As used in this section, “walk-through” means a joint physical inspection of the dwelling unit by the landlord and the tenant, or their designees, for the purpose of noting and listing any observed conditions within the dwelling unit. On and after January 1, 2024, upon or after the entry into a rental agreement but prior to the tenant’s occupancy of a dwelling unit, a landlord shall offer such tenant the opportunity to conduct a walk-through of the dwelling unit. If the tenant requests such a walk-through, the landlord and tenant, or their designees, shall use a copy of the preoccupancy walk-through checklist prepared by the Commissioner of Housing under subsection (c) of this section. The landlord and the tenant, or their designees, shall specifically note on the walk-through checklist any existing conditions, defects or damages to the dwelling unit present at the time of the walk-through. After the walk-through, the landlord and the tenant, or their designees, shall sign duplicate copies of the walk-through checklist and each shall receive a copy.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 47a-7c
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Dwelling unit: means any house or building, or portion thereof, which is occupied, is designed to be occupied, or is rented, leased or hired out to be occupied, as a home or residence of one or more persons. See Connecticut General Statutes 47a-1
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Landlord: means the owner, lessor or sublessor of the dwelling unit, the building of which it is a part or the premises. See Connecticut General Statutes 47a-1
- Rental agreement: means all agreements, written or oral, and valid rules and regulations adopted under section 47a-9 or subsection (d) of section 21-70 embodying the terms and conditions concerning the use and occupancy of a dwelling unit or premises. See Connecticut General Statutes 47a-1
- Tenant: means the lessee, sublessee or person entitled under a rental agreement to occupy a dwelling unit or premises to the exclusion of others or as is otherwise defined by law. See Connecticut General Statutes 47a-1
(b) Upon the tenant’s vacating of the dwelling unit, the landlord may not retain any part of the security deposit collected under chapter 831 or seek payment from the tenant for any condition, defect or damage that was noted in the preoccupancy walk-through checklist. Such walk-through checklist shall be admissible, subject to the rules of evidence, but shall not be conclusive, as evidence of the condition of the dwelling unit at the beginning of a tenant’s occupancy in any administrative or judicial proceeding.
(c) Not later than December 1, 2023, the Commissioner of Housing shall (1) prepare a standardized preoccupancy walk-through checklist for any landlord and tenant to use to document the condition of any dwelling unit during a preoccupancy walk-through under subsection (a) of this section, and (2) make such checklist available on the Department of Housing’s Internet web site.
(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any tenancy under a rental agreement entered into prior to January 1, 2024.