Substitute Senate Bill No. 998, known as Public Act No. 23-207, is a comprehensive piece of legislation that addresses various aspects of housing, rental assistance, and property management in Connecticut. The bill establishes a tax abatement program for land designated as greenways or recreational trails subject to permanent conservation restrictions, allowing for public recreational use. Municipalities can provide tax abatements for such land, and landowners can apply for these abatements by submitting an application to the municipal assessor. The bill also amends existing statutes to allow municipalities to impose civil penalties on rental property owners for housing safety and sanitation violations, with a maximum penalty of $2,000 per violation. It introduces a requirement for landlords to offer tenants a preoccupancy walk-through of the dwelling unit to document its condition, prohibiting landlords from retaining security deposits or seeking payment for damages noted in the checklist.

The bill makes several amendments to the general statutes concerning tenant-landlord relationships, including expanding the definition of "action" in tenant-landlord disputes and defining "tenant screening report." It prohibits landlords from demanding certain fees before tenancy begins, except for security deposits, first month's rent, key deposits, or tenant screening report fees. The bill also outlines the conditions under which late charges can be applied and modifies the grace period for unpaid rent. Furthermore, it expands the eligibility criteria for the security deposit guarantee program and updates the terms "Section 8" to "Housing Choice Voucher" program. The bill also introduces changes to the enforcement procedures for housing code violations, including the creation of complaint forms in English and Spanish and the imposition of civil penalties for failure to correct violations. It requires housing authorities to provide tenants with written leases and contact information for management and relevant agencies, and mandates the development of standardized rental agreement forms. Lastly, the bill specifies tax rates for real property conveyances and directs excess tax revenue to the Housing Trust Fund.

Statutes affected:
Public Act No. 23-207: 8-339, 8-68f, 8-68d, 8-345, 12-494, 12-498, 12-63b, 8-395, 29-263, 8-336q, 8-45, 8-48, 10-285a