The rule in Connecticut
Connecticut limits a residential security deposit to 2 months' rent (1 month for a tenant 62 or older). The wording in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(b), (d)(2): “In the case of a tenant under sixty-two years of age, a landlord shall not demand a security deposit in an amount that exceeds two months' rent.”
The return deadline is 21 days, counted after the tenancy ends, or 15 days after the tenant's written forwarding address arrives, whichever is later. The text reads: “Not later than twenty-one days after termination of a tenancy or fifteen days after receiving written notification of such tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later.”
Of the 44 jurisdictions verified here, 9 give landlords less time and 29 give more; the median is 30 days. California, Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin also allow 21 days.
What the cap means in dollars: $1,000 rent: up to $2,000, $1,500 rent: up to $3,000 and $2,000 rent: up to $4,000.
Worked date: if the clock starts on November 30, 2026, the deadline falls on December 21, 2026.
In neighbouring states with verified rules: Massachusetts allows 30 days and caps deposits at one month's rent, New York allows 14 days and caps deposits at one month's rent and Rhode Island allows 20 days and caps deposits at one month's rent.
For a tenant sixty-two or older the cap is one month's rent, and a tenant who turns sixty-two after paying more can ask for the excess back (§ 47a-21(b)(2)).
The refund includes accrued interest on the deposit.
If a deposit is not returned, the small claims limit in Connecticut is $5,000 (small claims rules); at the cap, a full-deposit claim fits whenever rent is $2,500 a month or less.
Source: Connecticut General Assembly, Chapter 831, § 47a-21 · last checked October 21, 2026.
If the deposit does not come back
The statute above sets the deadline; what happens after it passes is covered in general terms in the guide on a deposit that is not returned, and the way each state starts and counts the clock is compared in how deposit deadlines are counted.
Questions
How much can a landlord charge as a security deposit in Connecticut?
2 months' rent (1 month for a tenant 62 or older), under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(b), (d)(2).
How long does a landlord in Connecticut have to return a deposit?
21 days: “Not later than twenty-one days after termination of a tenancy or fifteen days after receiving written notification of such tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later” (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21(b), (d)(2)).
When does the Connecticut deadline start?
The clock runs after the tenancy ends, or 15 days after the tenant's written forwarding address arrives, whichever is later.