Section 16-262e - Notice furnished tenants re intended termination of utility service. Assumption by tenants of liability for future service. Liability of landlords for certain utility services. Deduction from rent. Access to meters(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 16-262d, wherever an owner, agent, lessor or manager of a residential dwelling is billed directly by an electric distribution, gas, telephone or water company or by a municipal utility for utility service furnished to such building not occupied exclusively by such owner, agent, lessor, or manager, and such company or municipal utility or the electric supplier providing electric generation services has actual or constructive knowledge that the occupants of such dwelling are not the individuals to whom the company or municipal utility usually sends its bills, such company, electric supplier or municipal utility shall not terminate such service for nonpayment of a delinquent account owed to such company, electric supplier or municipal utility by such owner, agent, lessor or manager unless: (1) Such company, electric supplier or municipal utility makes a good faith effort to notify the occupants of such building of the proposed termination by the means most practicable under the circumstances and best designed to provide actual notice; and (2) such company, electric supplier or municipal utility provides an opportunity, where practicable, for such occupants to receive service in their own names without any liability for the amount due while service was billed directly to the lessor, owner, agent or manager and without the necessity for a security deposit; provided, if it is not practicable for such occupants to receive service in their own names, the company, electric supplier or municipal utility shall not terminate service to such residential dwelling but may pursue the remedy provided in sections 16-262f and 16-262t.(b) Whenever a company, electric supplier or municipal utility has terminated service to a residential dwelling whose occupants are not the individuals to whom it usually sends its bills, such company, electric supplier or municipal utility shall, upon obtaining knowledge of such occupancy, immediately reinstate service and thereafter not effect termination unless it first complies with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.(c) The owner, agent, lessor or manager of a residential dwelling shall be liable for the costs of all electricity, gas, water or heating fuel furnished by a public service company, electric supplier, municipal utility or heating fuel dealer to the building, except for any service furnished to any dwelling unit of the building on an individually metered or billed basis for the exclusive use of the occupants of that dwelling unit, provided an owner, agent, lessor or manager shall be liable for service provided on an individually metered or billed basis pursuant to subsection (g) of this section from ten days after the date of written request by the company, supplier, utility or dealer if the company, supplier, utility or dealer is denied access to its individual meters or other facilities located on the premises of the building. Such owner, agent, lessor or manager shall only be liable when such owner, agent, lessor or manager controls access to such individual meters to which access is denied. If service is not provided on an individually metered or billed basis and the owner, agent, lessor or manager fails to pay for such service, any occupant who receives service in his own name may deduct, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this section, a reasonable estimate of the cost of any portion of such service which is for the use of occupants of dwelling units other than such occupant's dwelling unit.(d) Any payments made by the occupants of any residential dwelling pursuant to subsection (a) or (c) of this section shall be deemed to be in lieu of an equal amount of rent or payment for use and occupancy and each occupant shall be permitted to deduct such amounts from any sum of rent or payment for use and occupancy due and owing or to become due and owing to the owner, agent, lessor or manager.(e) Wherever a company, electric supplier or municipal utility provides service pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, the company, electric supplier or municipal utility shall notify each occupant of such building in writing that service will be provided in the occupant's own name. Such writing shall contain a conspicuous notice in boldface type stating, "NOTICE TO OCCUPANT. YOU MAY DEDUCT THE FULL AMOUNT YOU PAY (name of company or municipal utility) FOR (type of service) FROM THE MONEY YOU PAY YOUR LANDLORD OR HIS AGENT."
(f) The owner, agent, lessor or manager shall not increase the amount paid by such occupant for rent or for use and occupancy in order to collect all or part of that amount lawfully deducted by the occupant pursuant to this section.(g) The owner, agent, lessor or manager of a residential dwelling shall be responsible for providing a public service company, electric supplier or municipal utility or heating fuel dealer access to its meter or other facilities located on the premises of the residential dwelling promptly upon written request of the public service company, electric supplier or municipal utility or heating fuel dealer during reasonable hours. If such owner, agent, lessor or manager fails to provide such access upon reasonable written request, the owner, agent, lessor or manager shall be liable for the costs incurred by the public service company, electric supplier or municipal utility or heating fuel dealer in gaining access to the meter and facilities, including costs of collection and attorneys' fees. If the failure to provide access delays the ability of the public service company, electric supplier or municipal utility or heating fuel dealer to terminate service to an individually metered or billed portion of the dwelling, the owner, agent, lessor or manager failing to provide access shall also be liable for the amounts billed by the public service company, electric supplier or municipal utility or heating fuel dealer for service provided to the individually metered or billed portion of the dwelling for the period beginning ten days after access has been requested and ending when access is provided by such owner, agent, lessor or manager.(h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the company, electric supplier, municipal utility, heating fuel dealer or occupant from pursuing any other action or remedy at law or equity that it may have against the owner, agent, lessor, or manager.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 16-262e
(P.A. 75-625, S. 3, 8; P.A. 84-321; P.A. 98-28, S. 40, 117; P.A. 09-31, S. 2; P.A. 13-78, S. 9; P.A. 14-134, S. 102.)
Amended by P.A. 14-0134, S. 102 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2014 Regular Session, eff. 6/6/2014. Cited. 183 Conn. 85; 191 C. 514; 231 C. 441; 239 C. 313. Cited. 12 Conn.App. 499; 25 Conn.App. 226. Subsec. (c): Nursing home is not a "residential dwelling" within context of statute. 25 CA 177.