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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 693
January Session, 2019
AN ACT CONCERNING AD DITIONAL HOUSING PRO TECTIONS FOR
A VICTIM OF FAMILY VIOLENCE OR SEXUAL ASSAULT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2019) (a) Upon the request of a 1
tenant, a landlord shall change the locks to a tenant's dwelling unit 2
when: (1) The tenant is named as a protected person in (A) a protective 3
or restraining order issued by a court of this state, including, but not 4
limited to, an order issued pursuant to sections 46b-15, 46b-16a, 46b-5
38c, 53a-40e and 54-1k of the general statutes, that is in effect at the 6
time the tenant makes such request of the landlord, or (B) a foreign 7
order of protection that has been registered in this state pursuant to 8
section 46b-15a of the general statutes, that is in effect at the time the 9
tenant makes such request of the landlord; and (2) the tenant provides 10
a copy of such protective order, restraining order or foreign order of 11
protection to the landlord. A landlord who is required to change a 12
tenant's locks under this subsection shall do so, or in the alternative 13
permit the tenant to do so, not later that two business days after the 14
date that the tenant makes such request. 15
(b) If a landlord fails to change the locks, or fails to permit a tenant 16
to change the locks within the timeframe prescribed under subsection 17
(a) of this section, the tenant may proceed to change the locks without 18
the landlord's permission. If a tenant changes the locks without the 19
landlord's permission, the tenant shall ensure that the locks are 20 Substitute Bill No. 693
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changed in a workmanlike manner, utilizing locks of similar or 21
improved quality as compared to the original locks. The landlord may 22
replace a lock installed by or at the behest of a tenant if the locks 23
installed were not of equal or improved quality or were not installed 24
properly. If a tenant changes the locks to his or her dwelling unit 25
under this subsection, the tenant shall provide a key to the new locks 26
to the landlord not later than two business days after the date on 27
which the locks were changed, except when good cause prevents the 28
tenant from providing a key to the landlord within the prescribed time 29
period. 30
(c) When a landlord changes the locks to a dwelling unit under 31
subsection (a) or (b) of this section, the landlord (1) shall, at or prior to 32
the time of changing such locks, provide a key to the new locks to the 33
tenant, and (2) may charge a fee to the tenant not exceeding the actual 34
reasonable cost of changing the locks. A tenant's inability to pay the 35
cost for replacing the locks shall not be the basis for a summary 36
process action under chapter 832 of the general statutes, but such costs 37
may be recouped by suit against the tenant or as a deduction from the 38
security deposit when the tenant vacates the dwelling unit. 39
(d) If a tenant residing in the dwelling unit is named as the 40
respondent in an order described in subsection (a) of this section and 41
under such order is required to stay away from the dwelling unit, the 42
landlord shall not provide a key to such tenant for the new locks. 43
Absent a court order permitting a tenant who is the respondent in such 44
order to return to the dwelling unit to retrieve his or her possessions 45
and personal effects, the landlord has no duty under the rental 46
agreement or by law to allow such tenant access to the dwelling unit 47
once the landlord has been provided with a court order requiring such 48
tenant to stay away from the dwelling unit, and the landlord shall not 49
permit such tenant to access the dwelling unit. Any tenant excluded 50
from the dwelling unit under this section remains liable under the 51
rental agreement with any other tenant of the dwelling unit for rent or 52
damages to the dwelling unit. 53 Substitute Bill No. 693
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(e) A landlord may not require a tenant who is named as a protected 54
person under an order described in subsection (a) of this section to pay 55
additional rent or an additional deposit or fee because of the exclusion 56
of the tenant who is named as the respondent in such order. 57
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2019 New section
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 1(b), the phrase "permit a tenant to the change of the locks"
was changed to "permit a tenant to change the locks" for accuracy; and
in Section 1(d) "personal belongings" was changed to "his or her
possessions and personal effects" for consistency with other provisions
of the general statutes.
JUD Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO