Collecting a Security Deposit Judgment in Connecticut

You Won the Security Deposit Case — Now Collect

Connecticut has some of the strongest tenant protections around security deposits. Under CGS § 47a-21, a landlord who fails to return a security deposit or provide a required accounting within 21 days of tenancy termination (or 15 days after receiving written notice of the tenant's forwarding address, whichever is later) faces statutory penalties including double the deposit amount. Courts in the Housing Session and small claims regularly award these double damages.

But winning the judgment and collecting the money are two different things. The court won't chase down your landlord for you — enforcement is entirely on you.

Why Security Deposit Judgments Can Exceed $5,000

Connecticut's standard small claims cap is $5,000 under CGS § 51-15. But security deposit cases are one of the exceptions. When a landlord fails to comply with the return or accounting requirements in CGS § 47a-21, the statute can impose liability for twice the deposit amount, with a separate rule for interest-only violations. If the original deposit was $3,000, the judgment could reach $6,000 or more — and it's still handled in small claims or Housing Session.

This higher judgment amount makes the enforcement effort more worthwhile. The same collection tools available for any small claims judgment apply.

Finding the Landlord's Assets

Individual landlords sometimes have assets that are easier to identify than other judgment debtors. They own at least one piece of real property — the rental unit you lived in — and often own multiple properties.

Municipal land records at the town clerk's office list property ownership. Search the town where your rental was located and any other Connecticut towns where the landlord may own real estate.

Post-judgment interrogatories under CGS § 52-351b can require the landlord to disclose bank accounts, rental income streams, and other property holdings.

Debtor examination using Form JD-CV-54 puts the landlord under oath in court to answer financial questions directly.

Enforcement Tools That Work for Landlord Judgments

Judgment lien on real property. Record a judgment lien certificate under CGS § 52-380a in the land records of every town where the judgment debtor owns property. The lien appears in the land records and may need to be addressed before a sale or refinance. This is often the single most effective tool against landlord-debtors because they're in the real estate business — they need clean titles.

Bank execution. If you identify the landlord's bank (sometimes discoverable through cancelled rent checks or the deposit itself), file Form JD-CV-24 (individual landlord) or JD-CV-24N (LLC or corporate landlord). Business entity bank accounts have no consumer exemptions — the entire balance is subject to levy.

Wage execution. If the landlord has a day job beyond property management, Form JD-CV-3 reaches their paycheck. The standard garnishment formula applies — the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount exceeding 40 times the state minimum wage.

Rental income interception. If the judgment debtor is the business entity that collects rent and you've identified its bank account, a bank execution on that account can reach eligible rent deposits.

The LLC Landlord Problem

Many Connecticut landlords hold rental properties through LLCs. If your judgment is against the LLC, use Form JD-CV-24N for bank levies (no consumer exemptions apply). A charging order under CGS § 34-249a applies when the judgment debtor is an LLC member; it directs distributions otherwise payable to that debtor-member to the judgment creditor.

If your judgment is against the landlord personally but property or accounts are owned by an LLC, the personal judgment does not by itself make those LLC assets available. A charging order may reach distributions owed to the judgment debtor-member under CGS § 34-249a.

Don't Wait to Record the Lien

For landlord judgments specifically, recording a judgment lien promptly can be useful when the judgment debtor owns Connecticut real property. The lien costs a town clerk recording fee, and filing promptly can help secure your place against later interests.

The Collecting a Small Claims Judgment in Connecticut guide covers the complete enforcement toolkit with forms, statutory deadlines, and strategy for choosing the right tools based on what the debtor owns.

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