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Subletting Laws in Connecticut


Connecticut state law does not address whether or not you have the right to sublet, so if you're thinking about it you should start by reading your lease. Most Connecticut leases will include a term with instructions for tenants looking to sublet. It should contain information like:

Under Connecticut law1, a sublessee is protected under the state’s landlord-tenant laws. This means that once you sign a sublease agreement with a subtenant, or once someone establishes permanent residency in your rental (even if they don't have a lease), they will be considered a tenant. Previous court decisions2 have taken into account the below factors to determine whether or not a renter is a tenant as opposed to a transient guest:

  • Is there a lease?
  • How much control do they have over the space?
  • Do they have another residence somewhere else?
  • How much have they done to make the dwelling their “home for the time being?”

While state law doesn't provide any guidance to landlords and tenants about subletting, it does require landlords to mitigate damages caused by a tenant who breaches their lease in any way3.


[1] General Statutes of Connecticut Chapter 830 Sec_47a-1

[2] Bourque v. Morris, 190 Conn. 364, 369 (1983), State v. Anonymous, 34 Conn. Sup. 603, 605 (1977)

[3] General Statutes of Connecticut Chapter 830 Sec_47a-11c

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.