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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1303
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 4268
Referred to Committee on HOUSING
Introduced by:
(HSG)
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 Section 47a-6a of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) As used in this section: [,] 3
(1) ["address"] "Address" means a location as described by the full 4
street number, if any, the street name, the city or town, and the state, 5
and not a mailing address such as a post office box; [,] 6
(2) ["dwelling unit"] "Dwelling unit" means any house or building, or 7
portion thereof, which is rented, leased or hired out to be occupied, or 8
is arranged or designed to be occupied, or is occupied, as the home or 9
residence of one or more persons, living independently of each other, 10
and doing their cooking upon the premises, and having a common right 11
in the halls, stairways or yards; [,] 12
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(3) ["agent in charge"] "Agent in charge" or "agent" means [one] an 13
individual who manages real [estate] property, including, but not 14
limited to, the collection of rents and supervision and maintenance of 15
such property, including for the purposes of compliance with state and 16
local codes; 17
(4) ["controlling participant"] "Controlling participant" means an 18
individual [that] who exercises day-to-day financial or operational 19
control; [, and] 20
(5) ["project-based housing provider"] "Project-based housing 21
provider" means a property owner who contracts with the United States 22
Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing to 23
tenants under the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, 42 USC 24
1437f(o); 25
(6) "Identifying information" means proof of an individual's name, 26
date of birth, current residential address, motor vehicle operator's 27
license number or other identification number issued by any 28
government agency or entity; 29
(7) "Nonresident owner" means an individual , corporation, 30
partnership, trust or other legally recognized entity, who does not reside 31
at rental real property who is (A) an owner, as defined in section 47a-1, 32
of 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 twenty-five thousand or more shall, require the nonresident owner or 38
project-based housing provider of occupied or vacant rental real 39
property to report to the tax assessor, or other municipal [office] officer 40
designated by the municipality, the current residential address of the 41
nonresident owner or project-based housing provider of such property, 42
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if the nonresident owner or project-based housing provider is an 43
individual, or the current residential address of the agent in charge of 44
the building, if the nonresident owner or project-based housing 45
provider is a corporation, partnership, trust or other legally recognized 46
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 64
twenty-five thousand or more shall require the nonresident owner, 65
project-based housing provider or agent in charge, as applicable, to 66
report to the tax assessor, or other municipal officer designated by the 67
municipality, accurate identifying information concerning such 68
nonresident owner, 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
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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
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 July 1, 87
2025): 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 the building which includes the dwelling 105
unit is not required by law to be equipped for that purpose or if the 106
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dwelling unit is so constructed that heat or hot water is generated by an 107
installation within the exclusive control of the tenant or supplied by a 108
direct public utility connection; and (7) comply with the requirements 109
of section 47a-6a, as amended by this act. 110
Sec. 3. Section 29-254a of the general statutes is repealed and the 111
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 112
Any person who violates any provision of the State Building Code 113
shall, for the 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. 117
Sec. 4. Section 29-291c of the general statutes is repealed and the 118
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 119
(a) When the State Fire Marshal or a local fire marshal ascertains that 120
there exists in any building, or upon any premises, a condition that 121
violates the State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code, the State Fire 122
Marshal or local fire marshal shall order such condition remedied by the 123
owner or occupant of such building or premises. Any such remedy shall 124
be in conformance with all building codes, ordinances, rules and 125
regulations of the municipality involved. Such owner or occupant shall 126
be subject to the penalties prescribed by subsection (e) of this section 127
and, in addition, may be fined fifty dollars a day for each day's 128
continuance of each violation, to be recovered in a proper action in the 129
name of the state. 130
(b) Upon failure of an owner or occupant to abate or remedy a 131
violation pursuant to subsection (a) of this section within a reasonable 132
period of time specified by the State Fire Marshal or the local fire 133
marshal, the local fire marshal shall promptly notify, in writing, the 134
prosecuting attorney having jurisdiction in the municipality in which 135
such violation or condition exists of all of the relevant facts. The local 136
fire marshal may request the chief executive officer, any official of the 137
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municipality authorized to institute actions on behalf of the 138
municipality in which the hazard exists or the State Fire Marshal, to 139
apply to any court of equitable jurisdiction for an injunction against 140
such owner or occupant for the purpose of closing or restricting from 141
public service or use the place or premises containing the violation or 142
condition until the violation or condition has been remedied, or the State 143
Fire Marshal may apply for such an injunction without such request. 144
(c) The State Fire Marshal or any local fire marshal empowered to 145
enforce the State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code may, as an 146
alternative to issuing an order pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, 147
give the owner or occupant a written citation for any violation of the 148
applicable code. No such citation may be issued if the owner or 149
occupant has been previously issued a citation for the same violation by 150
the State Fire Marshal or the local fire marshal within six months prior 151
to the current violation. Such citation shall contain the name and 152
address, if known, of the owner or occupant, the specific offense 153
charged and the time and place of the violation. The citation shall be 154
signed by the State Fire Marshal or local fire marshal and shall be signed 155
by the owner or occupant in acknowledgment that such citation has 156
been received. The State Fire Marshal or local fire marshal shall, if 157
practicable, deliver a copy of the citation to the owner or occupant at the 158
time and place of the violation or shall use some other reasonable means 159
of notification. Any person who is issued a citation for violation of any 160
provision of the State Fire Prevention Code or Fire Safety Code in 161
accordance with this subsection shall be fined not more than two 162
hundred fifty dollars. 163
(d) If a local fire marshal issues a citation pursuant to subsection (c) 164
of this section, the state shall remit to the municipalities in which the 165
violations occurred ninety per cent of the proceeds of the fine and shall 166
remit to the State Treasurer the remaining ten per cent. If the State Fire 167
Marshal issues a citation pursuant to said subsection, the state shall 168
remit to the State Treasurer the entire proceeds of the fine. Each clerk of 169
the Superior Court or the Chief Court Administrator, on or before the 170
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thirtieth day of January, April, July and October in each year, shall 171
certify to the Comptroller the amount due for the previous quarter 172
under this subsection to each municipality served by the office of the 173
clerk or official. 174
(e) In addition to the fine prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, 175
any person who violates any provision of the State Fire Prevention Code 176
or Fire Safety Code shall, for a first offense, be fined not less than two 177
hundred dollars or more than one thousand dollars or be imprisoned 178
not more than six months, or both, and, for any subsequent offense, be 179
fined not less than five hundred dollars or more than one thousand 180
dollars. 181
Sec. 5. Section 29-394 of the general statutes is repealed and the 182
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 183
Any person who, by himself or his agent, fails to comply with the 184
written order of a building inspector for the provision of additional exit 185
facilities in a building, the repair or alteration of a building or the 186
removal of a building or any portion thereof, shall, for a first offense, be 187
fined not less than two hundred dollars nor more than one thousand 188
dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both, and, for any 189
subsequent offense, be fined not less than five hundred dollars or more 190
than two thousand dollars. 191
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 47a-6a
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 47a-7(a)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 29-254a
Sec. 4 July 1, 2025 29-291c
Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 29-394
Statement of Purpose:
To (1) require certain nonresident landlords, project-based housing
providers or agents in charge of rental properties to register certain
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personal identifying information, and (2) increase penalties for repeat
violations of building and fire codes.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]