Mobile home lot rent rules in Connecticut

Connecticut has a dedicated park law — the Mobile Manufactured Homes chapter, Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 412 (§§21-64 et seq.), administered by the Department of Consumer Protection — that fixes the rent for the lease term, controls increases at renewal, and caps late fees. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone dealing with a specific increase should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Connecticut.

What the statute says

Under Conn. Gen. Stat. §21-83(a)(5), no rental agreement may contain "any provision which allows the owner to increase the total rent or change the payment arrangements during the term of the rental agreement." An increase can come only at the end of the term, and §21-80(b)(5) allows it only if the owner "delivers a written notice of the proposed rent increase to the resident at least thirty days before the start of a new rental agreement," the proposed rent "is consistent with rents for comparable lots in the same park," and "the rent is not increased in order to defeat the purpose of this subsection."

Late fees are capped: §21-83(a)(4) bars a penalty "in excess of five per cent of the total rent due for the mobile manufactured home space or lot" (or 4% where the owner rents both the home and the lot), and §21-83(a)(3) requires "a minimum of nine days beyond the due date" before any late fee. Before any agreement, §21-70 requires the owner to give the resident a plain-language disclosure statement listing the monthly rent and all charges, the rental term, and the resident's rights. There is no statute capping the amount of rent.

How it works in general

A Connecticut park resident's rent is locked for the term of the rental agreement — the park can't raise it mid-term. When the term ends, the park can propose a higher rent, but only with at least 30 days' written notice, and the new figure has to be in line with comparable lots in the same park and not set just to push the resident out. A resident who won't agree to a proper increase can be taken to summary process, but the law builds in a six-month stay before any eviction execution issues. Late fees are capped at 5% of the lot rent and can't be charged until a nine-day grace period passes. Connecticut doesn't cap the amount of rent, so the comparability standard, the notice rules, and the late-fee cap are the main guardrails.

Common scenarios

General examples Connecticut park residents commonly encounter:

• A park tries to raise rent mid-lease. That's barred (§21-83(a)(5)).
• A renewal increase arrives with short notice. The owner must give at least 30 days' notice and keep the rent comparable to other lots (§21-80(b)(5)).
• A late fee is charged the day after rent is due. A nine-day grace period is required, and the fee is capped at 5% of lot rent (§21-83(a)(3), (4)).

Other authorities that may apply

The dedicated act (Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 412) governs the rent terms, the disclosure statement, and late fees; the summary-process rules run through chapter 832. Because Connecticut sets no rent cap, this guide flags that gap honestly — though some municipalities have a fair rent commission a resident can petition (§21-80a). Federal law such as the Fair Housing Act can also apply.