Connecticut bars leases that bill tenants for utilities their own unit meter does not measure
From October 1, 2026, Connecticut leases signed or renewed cannot make tenants pay utility charges unless a separate meter measures their unit's own use; such terms are unenforceable.
Owners of master-metered apartment buildings in Connecticut can no longer write leases that pass a share of the building's utility bills through to tenants. Under Conn. Pub. Act No. 26-113 (2026), signed by Governor Ned Lamont on June 4, 2026 and in force since October 1, 2026, a rental agreement may not require a tenant to pay for utilities when no separate meter measures the utilities delivered exclusively to that tenant's unit. The act adds this term to the list of prohibited lease provisions in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4(a), and a prohibited provision is unenforceable.
Conn. Pub. Act No. 26-113 (2026); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-4(a); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16-262e(c); Northland Inv. Corp. v. Pub. Utils. Regul. Auth., 349 Conn. 35 (2024)