What are the legal obligations of a landlord in regards to the return of a tenant’s security deposit?

In Connecticut, landlords have several legal obligations regarding the return of a tenant’s security deposit. The first obligation is to put the security deposit into a separate, interest-bearing account in a financial institution in Connecticut. The money must remain in this account until the tenant moves out. When the tenant moves out, the landlord must then return the security deposit, along with any allowable interest, to the tenant within 30 days of their move-out date. If the landlord decides to deduct money from the security deposit, they must provide the tenant with an itemized list of repairs and/or cleaning that were done and the dollar amounts charged to the tenant. The deductions must reflect the actual repairs and/or cleaning costs that were incurred and must be reasonable. In addition, the landlord cannot use the security deposit as a last month’s rent without the tenant’s express permission. The tenant is allowed to withhold payment of the last month’s rent until the security deposit, plus any interest, is returned to them. Finally, the landlord is obligated to return the security deposit to the same address the tenant provided when they moved in. If the tenant has moved and left no forwarding address, then the landlord may return the security deposit to the last known address. If the deposit is not returned or the tenant cannot be located, the landlord may be held liable for a penalty of two times the amount of the security deposit.

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What are the legal obligations of a landlord in regards to the return of a tenant’s security deposit?

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