State Specific Question About: CONNECTICUT (CT)

I'm here asking for my uncle and my aunt who currently rent in a multifamily home in the West Haven area. They are not originally from the area nor have they been renters before. My uncle is ill and my aunt not in the best of health herself...both mid to late 60s.

The LL used to reside in the home and is having issues finding quality tenants that pay rent. My aunt pays early and I yelled at her for loaning (wont ever see that money) money to the LL's family in the past. She and my uncle are street smart but very giving people.

Anyway, who is responsible for snow removal and how much?

I gave my aunt my answer...in my multifamily I (or my sons) remove the snow on a continual basis from any and all doorways from the house, down the walkways, the driveways (we do not remove snow from within 2 feet of any tenant's or guests cars, they are provided a shovel for that). We salt/sand as necessary and per our town ordinance (northern CT) we must have our sidewalk clear within 12 hrs of the end of a storm.

I was trying to look up the answer/town specific too and it's late. I appreciate any info. (psst, their adult son has been going up to the house and shoveling it all w/o any compensation to ensure his parent's safety...I told him to stop).

The son has to keep shoveling until some pressure is applied to landlord. Why create a larger problem with two elderly people with slip and fall injuries?

In NJ we have to remove snow from public sidewalks within 24 hours after snowfall ends.

It's common sense to remove it from other sidewalks up to the house and porches.

A LL posted here not long ago that they supply salt/de-icer powder for their tenants. Then if the tenants don't use the powder/salt it is their choice.

I'm a CA Landlord so I have no experience with these issues.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I believe its three floors, one apt on each floor and one common entry to the outside.

I am unclear what's written in the rental agreement but was told the LL has always done the snow removal in the past. Three major snowstorms this season and he has not done anything. I am third party to the info and going by what my aunt was telling me only.

You might check with the municipality. This sort of thing REALLY varies from one location to the next, even in the same state. . .and the statutes can also vary by the type of property in a given location, e.g., commercial, versus single family, versus multifamily (which may be sorted into categories by # of units) etc.

Research it further.

I pay for it for my 13 unit. Tenants handle it in my single family houses. Some states might have laws in some cases and in other cases refer it to the lease.

Oops sorry about that, hit the wrong button.

Anyway, if the landlord has done it in the past maybe he would have gotten around to it in the past storms but your cousin beat him to it. Now he sees a precident being set by them and figures, hey if someone else is willing to do it I don't have to.