House Bill No. 5156, reported by the Committee on Housing, introduces new requirements for landlords regarding notices of rent increases. The bill amends section 47a-4(a) of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes, effective October 1, 2024, and applicable to rental agreements entered into on or after that date. It expands the list of unenforceable provisions in residential rental agreements to include any clause that requires a tenant to pay an increase in rent without at least sixty days' written notice from the landlord. Additionally, the bill prohibits landlords from evicting tenants for refusing to accept a rent increase upon renewal or extension of a rental agreement unless the tenant has received at least sixty days' written notice of the proposed increase.

The bill also makes technical and conforming changes to subsection (a) of section 47a-23 of the general statutes, with the same effective date. It specifies that landlords cannot begin a lapse of time eviction due to a lease expiring if the tenant refuses a rent increase for a renewed or extended rental agreement without the required sixty days' written notice. The bill does not appear to create an explicit requirement for landlords to generally give tenants notice of rent increases for a renewed or extended lease. The fiscal impact statement indicates that the bill is not anticipated to have a fiscal impact on the state or municipalities, as the state is not a direct residential landlord. The bill passed the Housing Committee with a vote of 10 to 5.