Sec.17b-802-8. Security Deposit Grants, Claim for Damages and Refund

(a) Not later than thirty days after the date of the termination of a tenancy for which the department has provided a security deposit grant, the landlord shall submit to the department the balance of such security deposit grant, plus accrued interest, after deduction for any damages suffered by the landlord due to the tenant’s failure to comply with the tenant’s obligations, as such obligations are defined in section 47a-21 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

(b) If the landlord claims the right to withhold any portion of any security deposit grant that the department has paid directly to the landlord on the recipient’s behalf, the landlord shall comply with all of the provisions of section 47a-21 of the Connecticut General Statutes and subsection (b) of section 17b-802-7 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. If the landlord or the landlord’s agent sends a notice to the department regarding a claim against a security deposit grant then the landlord or the landlord’s agent shall also send such notice to the tenant on the same day.

(c) The department reserves the right to refuse payment for a claim for damages to a dwelling unit if any local, state or federal regulatory agency has cited the landlord for any violations of any law, regulation or ordinance pertaining to such dwelling unit and such violations were not timely remediated.

(d) If the landlord does not return the balance of the security deposit grant within thirty days after the termination of the tenancy, and legal action is necessary to collect the balance, the landlord shall pay the costs associated with such legal action and shall also be liable for twice the amount or value of the security deposit grant pursuant to section 47a-21 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

(e) The department may inspect the dwelling unit to determine the extent of any damages.

(f) The rights of the tenant to the refund of the security deposit grant shall be subrogated to the department.

(Adopted effective May 24, 2004; Amended June 28, 2013)