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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 209
February Session, 2024
AN ACT CONCERNING NONRESIDENT LANDLORD REGISTRATION
AND INCREASING PENALTIES FOR REPEAT BUILDING AND FIRE
CODE VIOLATIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 47a-6a of the 2024 supplement to the general 1
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
(Effective October 1, 2024): 3
(a) As used in this section: [,] 4
(1) ["address"] "Address" means a location as described by the full 5
street number, if any, the street name, the city or town, and the state, 6
and not a mailing address such as a post office box; [,] 7
(2) ["dwelling unit"] "Dwelling unit" means any house or building, or 8
portion thereof, which is rented, leased or hired out to be occupied, or 9
is arranged or designed to be occupied, or is occupied, as the home or 10
residence of one or more persons, living independently of each other, 11
and doing their cooking upon the premises, and having a common right 12
in the halls, stairways or yards; [,] 13
(3) ["agent in charge"] "Agent in charge" or "agent" means [one] an 14
individual who manages real [estate] property, including, but not 15 Substitute Bill No. 209
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limited to, the collection of rents and supervision and maintenance of 16
such property, including for the purposes of compliance with state and 17
local codes; 18
(4) ["controlling participant"] "Controlling participant" means an 19
individual [that] who exercises day-to-day financial or operational 20
control; [, and] 21
(5) ["project-based housing provider"] "Project-based housing 22
provider" means a property owner who contracts with the United States 23
Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing to 24
tenants under the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, 42 USC 25
1437f(o); 26
(6) "Identifying information" means proof of an individual's name, 27
date of birth, current residential address, motor vehicle operator's 28
license number or other identification number issued by any 29
government agency or entity; 30
(7) "Nonresident owner" means an individual who does not reside at 31
rental real property who is (A) an owner, as defined in section 47a-1, of 32
such real property, or (B) the controlling participant of the entity that 33
owns such real property; and 34
(8) "Population" means the number of persons according to the most 35
recent federal decennial census. 36
(b) Any municipality may, and any municipality with a population 37
of not less than twenty-five thousand shall, require the nonresident 38
owner or project-based housing provider of occupied or vacant rental 39
real property to report to the tax assessor, or other municipal [office] 40
officer designated by the municipality, the current residential address 41
of the nonresident owner or project-based housing provider of such 42
property, if the nonresident owner or project-based housing provider is 43
an individual, or the current residential address of the agent in charge 44
of the building, if the nonresident owner or project-based housing 45
provider is a corporation, partnership, trust or other legally recognized 46 Substitute Bill No. 209
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entity owning rental real property in the state. If the nonresident owners 47
or project-based housing providers are a corporation, partnership, trust 48
or other legally recognized entity owning rental real property in the 49
state, such report shall also include identifying information and the 50
current residential address of each controlling participant associated 51
with the property. If such residential address changes, notice of the new 52
residential address shall be provided by such nonresident owner, 53
project-based housing provider or agent in charge of the building to the 54
office of the tax assessor or other designated municipal office not more 55
than twenty-one days after the date that the address change occurred. If 56
the nonresident owner, project-based housing provider or agent fails to 57
file an address under this section, the address to which the municipality 58
mails property tax bills for the rental real property shall be deemed to 59
be the nonresident owner, project-based housing provider or agent's 60
current address. Such address may be used for compliance with the 61
provisions of subsection [(c)] (d) of this section. 62
(c) In addition to the residential address required pursuant to 63
subsection (b) of this section, any municipality with a population of not 64
less than twenty-five thousand shall require the nonresident owner, 65
project-based housing provider or agent in charge to report to the tax 66
assessor, or other municipal officer designated by the municipality, 67
accurate identifying information concerning such nonresident owner, 68
project-based housing provider or agent in charge. 69
[(c)] (d) Service of state or municipal orders relating to maintenance 70
of such rental real property or compliance with state law and local codes 71
concerning such real property directed to the nonresident owner, 72
project-based housing provider or agent at the address on file, or 73
deemed to be on file in accordance with the provisions of this section, 74
shall be sufficient proof of service of notice of such orders in any 75
subsequent criminal or civil action against the owner, project-based 76
housing provider or agent for failure to comply with the orders. The 77
provisions of this section shall not be construed to limit the validity of 78
any other means of giving notice of such orders that may be used by the 79 Substitute Bill No. 209
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state or such municipality. 80
[(d)] (e) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall 81
have committed [an infraction] a violation. 82
[(e)] (f) Any report provided to a tax assessor pursuant to subsection 83
(b) or (c) of this section [on or after October 1, 2023,] shall be confidential 84
and shall not be disclosed under chapter 14. 85
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 47a-7 of the general statutes is 86
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 87
1, 2024): 88
(a) A landlord shall: (1) Comply with the requirements of chapter 89
368o and all applicable building and housing codes materially affecting 90
health and safety of both the state or any political subdivision thereof; 91
(2) make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the 92
premises in a fit and habitable condition, except where the premises are 93
intentionally rendered unfit or uninhabitable by the tenant, a member 94
of [his] such tenant's family or other person on the premises with [his] 95
such tenant's consent, in which case such duty shall be the responsibility 96
of [the] such tenant; (3) keep all common areas of the premises in a clean 97
and safe condition; (4) maintain in good and safe working order and 98
condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating and 99
other facilities and appliances and elevators, supplied or required to be 100
supplied by him; (5) provide and maintain appropriate receptacles for 101
the removal of ashes, garbage, rubbish and other waste incidental to the 102
occupancy of the dwelling unit and arrange for their removal; [and] (6) 103
supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water at all times 104
and reasonable heat [except if] unless (i) the building which includes the 105
dwelling unit is not required by law to be equipped for that purpose, or 106
[if] (ii) the dwelling unit is so constructed that heat or hot water is 107
generated by an installation within the exclusive control of the tenant or 108
supplied by a direct public utility connection; and (7) comply with the 109
requirements of section 47a-6a, as amended by this act. 110 Substitute Bill No. 209
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Sec. 3. Section 29-254a of the general statutes is repealed and the 111
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 112
Any person who violates any provision of the State Building Code 113
shall, for a first offense, be fined not less than two hundred dollars or 114
more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than six 115
months, or both, and, for any subsequent offense, be fined not less than 116
five hundred dollars or more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned 117
not more than one year, or both. 118
Sec. 4. Section 29-291c of the general statutes is repealed and the 119
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 120
(a) When the State Fire Marshal or a local fire marshal ascertains that 121
there exists in any building, or upon any premises, a condition that 122
violates the State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code, the State Fire 123
Marshal or local fire marshal shall order such condition remedied by the 124
owner or occupant of such building or premises. Any such remedy shall 125
be in conformance with all building codes, ordinances, rules and 126
regulations of the municipality involved. Such owner or occupant shall 127
be subject to the penalties prescribed by subsection (e) of this section 128
and, in addition, may be fined fifty dollars a day for each day's 129
continuance of each violation, to be recovered in a proper action in the 130
name of the state. 131
(b) Upon failure of an owner or occupant to abate or remedy a 132
violation pursuant to subsection (a) of this section within a reasonable 133
period of time specified by the State Fire Marshal or the local fire 134
marshal, the local fire marshal shall promptly notify, in writing, the 135
prosecuting attorney having jurisdiction in the municipality in which 136
such violation or condition exists of all of the relevant facts. The local 137
fire marshal may request the chief executive officer, any official of the 138
municipality authorized to institute actions on behalf of the 139
municipality in which the hazard exists or the State Fire Marshal, to 140
apply to any court of equitable jurisdiction for an injunction against 141
such owner or occupant for the purpose of closing or restricting from 142 Substitute Bill No. 209
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public service or use the place or premises containing the violation or 143
condition until the violation or condition has been remedied, or the State 144
Fire Marshal may apply for such an injunction without such request. 145
(c) The State Fire Marshal or any local fire marshal empowered to 146
enforce the State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code may, as an 147
alternative to issuing an order pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, 148
give the owner or occupant a written citation for any violation of the 149
applicable code. No such citation may be issued if the owner or 150
occupant has been previously issued a citation for the same violation by 151
the State Fire Marshal or the local fire marshal within six months prior 152
to the current violation. Such citation shall contain the name and 153
address, if known, of the owner or occupant, the specific offense 154
charged and the time and place of the violation. The citation shall be 155
signed by the State Fire Marshal or local fire marshal and shall be signed 156
by the owner or occupant in acknowledgment that such citation has 157
been received. The State Fire Marshal or local fire marshal shall, if 158
practicable, deliver a copy of the citation to the owner or occupant at the 159
time and place of the violation or shall use some other reasonable means 160
of notification. Any person who is issued a citation for violation of any 161
provision of the State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code in 162
accordance with this subsection shall be fined not more than two 163
hundred fifty dollars. 164
(d) If a local fire marshal issues a citation pursuant to subsection (c) 165
of this section, the state shall remit to the municipalities in which the 166
violations occurred ninety per cent of the proceeds of the fine and shall 167
remit to the State Treasurer the remaining ten per cent. If the State Fire 168
Marshal issues a citation pursuant to said subsection, the state shall 169
remit to the State Treasurer the entire proceeds of the fine. Each clerk of 170
the Superior Court or the Chief Court Administrator, on or before the 171
thirtieth day of January, April, July and October in each year, shall 172
certify to the Comptroller the amount due for the previous quarter 173
under this subsection to each municipality served by the office of the 174
clerk or official. 175 Substitute Bill No. 209
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(e) In addition to the fine prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, 176
any person who violates any provision of the State Fire Prevention Code 177
or Fire Safety Code shall, for a first offense, be fined not less than two 178
hundred dollars or more than one thousand dollars or be imprisoned 179
not more than six months, or both, and, for any subsequent offense, be 180
fined not less than five hundred dollars or more than one thousand 181
dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. 182
Sec. 5. Section 29-394 of the general statutes is repealed and the 183
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2024): 184
Any person who, by himself or his agent, fails to comply with the 185
written order of a building inspector for the provision of additional exit 186
facilities in a building, the repair or alteration of a building or the 187
removal of a building or any portion thereof, shall, for a first offense, be 188
fined not less than two hundred dollars nor more than one thousand 189
dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both, and, for any 190
subsequent offense, be fined not less than five hundred dollars or more 191
than two thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or 192
both. 193
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2024 47a-6a
Sec. 2 October 1, 2024 47a-7(a)
Sec. 3 October 1, 2024 29-254a
Sec. 4 October 1, 2024 29-291c
Sec. 5 October 1, 2024 29-394
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 2(a), "his" was changed to "such tenant's" for clarity, "except
if" was changed to "unless" and clause designators were added for
clarity.
HSG Joint Favorable Subst. C/R JUD