Connecticut Just Cause Eviction Bill Dies in State House

A bill that would have strengthened protections for Connecticut renters failed to move forward in the state legislature again, reports Ginny Monk for the Connecticut Mirror.

House Bill 6889, which would have required landlords to provide a cause for eviction tenants, will not be put up for a vote. “The bill would have banned no-fault evictions, which typically occur at the end of a lease, in buildings with five or more units, after the tenant had been there for at least a year.”

Landlord groups opposed the bill on the grounds that it would make it too difficult to evict “problem” renters. “Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said he’d fielded concerns from lawmakers who feared that if new owners couldn’t evict renters, they wouldn’t be able to make renovations and rental housing would deteriorate.”  

But tenant advocates say “this type of eviction may be used in retaliation when renters complain about housing conditions or to evict every resident of a building or complex when new ownership purchases the property.”