Up to $5,000 · 6 years to file.
A landlord who kept your deposit past the legal return deadline. In Connecticut, small-claims cases for this kind of dispute are filed in the Small Claims (Superior Court), where you can sue for up to $5,000.
Your deadline: Connecticut generally gives you 6 years from when the claim arose to file. Miss it and the court can dismiss the case no matter how clearly you're owed.
The filing fee is around $95 (About $95 plus a small service/marshal cost.). Before you file, send a written demand letter and keep proof of delivery.
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-15; deadlines: Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 52-576, 52-581, 52-584. Reviewed 2026-06-17 (verify with the court clerk).
Note on deadlines: Written contract 6 yrs; oral contract 3; property damage and personal injury 2 yrs.
Suing for something else in Connecticut: Connecticut unpaid loan · Connecticut property damage · Connecticut unpaid rent · Connecticut contractor dispute.
Suing for security deposit in nearby states: New York ($10,000, 6 years) · Rhode Island ($5,000, 10 years) · Massachusetts ($7,000, 6 years).
General legal information, not legal advice. Rules change and vary by county and court; consult a licensed attorney or your court clerk.
Updated July 2026