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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1383
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 4580
Referred to Committee on HOUSING
Introduced by:
(HSG)
AN ACT CONCERNING UTILITY CHARGES FOR RESIDENTIAL
DWELLING UNITS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 47a-4 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
(a) A rental agreement shall not provide that the tenant: (1) Agrees to 3
waive or forfeit rights or remedies under this chapter and sections 47a-4
21, 47a-23 to 47a-23b, inclusive, 47a-26 to 47a-26g, inclusive, 47a-35 to 5
47a-35b, inclusive, 47a-41a, 47a-43 and 47a-46, or under any section of 6
the general statutes or any municipal ordinance unless such section or 7
ordinance expressly states that such rights may be waived; (2) 8
authorizes the landlord to confess judgment on a claim arising out of the 9
rental agreement; (3) agrees to the exculpation or limitation of any 10
liability of the landlord arising under law or to indemnify the landlord 11
for that liability or the costs connected therewith; (4) agrees to waive 12
[his] such tenant's right to the interest on the security deposit pursuant 13
to section 47a-21; (5) agrees to permit the landlord to dispossess [him] 14
such tenant without resort to court order; (6) consents to the distraint of 15
Raised Bill No. 1383
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[his] such tenant's property for rent; (7) agrees to pay the landlord's 16
attorney's fees in excess of fifteen per cent of any judgment against the 17
tenant in any action in which money damages are awarded; (8) agrees 18
to pay a late charge prior to the expiration of the grace period set forth 19
in section 47a-15a or to pay rent in a reduced amount if such rent is paid 20
prior to the expiration of such grace period; (9) agrees to pay a late 21
charge on rent payments made subsequent to such grace period in an 22
amount exceeding the amounts set forth in section 47a-15a; [or] (10) 23
agrees to pay a heat or utilities surcharge if heat or utilities is included 24
in the rental agreement; or (11) agrees to pay for utilities if no separate 25
meter for such utilities exists for such tenant's dwelling unit. 26
(b) A provision prohibited by subsection (a) of this section included 27
in a rental agreement is unenforceable. 28
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025 47a-4
Statement of Purpose:
To require that a tenant only be charged for utilities if such tenant's
dwelling unit has an individual meter.
[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.]