Friday, Oct. 10, 2025
Do CT landlords need to offer at least one way to pay rent without a service fee?
Under Connecticut law, landlords must accept at least one method of payment — for rent or security deposits — that does not involve a service fee, like a check or a money order.
Digital rent payments, like those made online with a credit card, debit card or ACH transfer, often incur a processing fee. These service fees are usually between 1% and 3%.
Sections 47a-4c of state law specifies landlords are prohibited from requiring electronic funds transfer as the exclusive form of payment for any lease or rental agreement executed on or after October 1, 2013. If a tenant wants to avoid service fees, a money order or a check can be used.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Connecticut General Assembly Public Act No. 13-35
- Connecticut General Assembly CHAPTER 830 RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF LANDLORD AND TENANT Sun
- Rentpayment Rent payment processing fees: Should landlords absorb the cost or pass it on?
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.
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