State Specific Question About: CONNECTICUT (CT)

Repetitive, yes? Seeking advice from seasoned CT landlords....

my tenant has been gone for a little over 2 weeks. Today is the final day of his rental agreement (as in writing in my moveout letter to him). He has left some furniture up there and indicated to my husband last week (ran into him at the store) that he does not want those items (asked my husband if we wanted them, husband said no).

The tenant still has the keys. Yes, I have until midnight to expect him to come back for his moveout inspection and to remove his couch and table and return the keys.

my question....if he does not come back, what is my next step. Do I have the right to change the locks since he has not lived in the apt for the past two weeks, has not provided me a forwarding address or should I go ahead with the eviction notice even though he has not occupied the apt since Memorial Day weekend?

Since I'm asking...if he just shows up am I obligated to drop what I'm doing and do the inspection w/him right then and there? Or can I request a later date? Why I am asking is this is a chemo week for my mom not to mention my next three days are chock full of appts that I can't change and this tenant has not communicated at all with me in the past two weeks. I do have his security dep here in the house, and depending on when I can officially reclaim the apt, I have contractors lined up to access the damage due to the smoking and broken door jamb and leak in my daugther's bedroom ceiling from his defrosting the fridge and the water pooling on the floor and leaking through. In CT I have 30 days to return his deposit, I plan on waiting on those estimates...in good faith would return any portion when and if he comes by? (it is the equivilant of 2 months and maybe I'm naive but not sure the damage would equal the entire deposit amount)

June, thats what I'm afraid of...I have been reading and rereading the CT laws regarding such and its not abandoment but its never really touched upon specifically. Let me know what you all think about this, my interpretation: Because he still has the keys, has not provided me w/a forwarding address I'm supposed to send a letter addressed to him at this, his former address, giving him 10 days to return the keys and remove the remaining items of his (couch, weight bench formally belonging to my son and tabletop). I have to give him the oppotunity to contact me regarding a walk-through of the apartment and the opportunity to return the keys to me.

Frankly, that sucks but I believe its what the law says I am to do.

But again, wow, its not clear at all.

So come day 10, er, day 11 and I must have a 3rd party walk through unit w/me and document what s/he sees at that point so its not just me and my word against tenants.