Bill > SB01383

This bill modifies Connecticut's rental law to prohibit landlords from charging tenants for utilities unless the tenant's specific dwelling unit has a separate, individual meter for those utilities. Currently, rental agreements might allow landlords to charge tenants for utilities even when there is no way to directly measure the tenant's individual utility usage. The bill amends Section 47a-4 of the general statutes to add a new provision that makes such charges unenforceable, effectively protecting tenants from being billed for utilities without a means of accurately tracking their own consumption. By requiring a separate meter for each dwelling unit, the legislation aims to ensure that tenants are only responsible for their own utility usage, preventing landlords from estimating or arbitrarily allocating utility costs across multiple units. The changes will take effect on July 1, 2025, giving landlords and property managers time to adapt to the new requirement by installing individual meters if they wish to pass utility costs directly to tenants.

Housing and Urban Affairs

Housing Committee (Joint)

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=SB01383&which_year=2025