Apartment Occupancy
Certificate of Apartment Occupancy
No owner or other person shall rent to another, or permit the occupation by another, of any vacant dwelling unit unless it and the premises are clean, sanitary and fit for human occupancy, and comply with all applicable legal requirements of the state of Connecticut and the city.
A Certificate of Apartment Occupancy is needed to make sure that the apartment is safe and suitable for living. No one can move into an empty apartment until the city checks and approves it as meeting the housing regulations. This applies when:
- There are three or more apartments in a building
- This rule does not apply if the building has only one or two apartments or if there are three apartments and the owner lives in one of them.
Please not: if you apply for the approval but it hasn't been granted yet, you can still live in the apartment while waiting for the city's decision.
For more information on the housing regulations and requirements visit:
- Bridgeport City Ordinance: 15.12.270
- State: Title 47a, Chapter 833a of the Connecticut General Statutes
As an owner of a rental property, you are responsible for allowing inspectors access on the assigned inspection date. Violating housing codes above, could lead to the revocation of your application or result in legal action. Submitting a Certificate of Approval for each new tenant is mandatory, and not doing so could result in the loss of your license to rent out the property. For more information, call 203-576-7072.
When applying for a certificate of occupancy, it's illegal to provide false information about who will occupy the dwelling unit. Any person who violates any of the aforesaid provisions shall be subject to the penalty provided for violations of the provisions of the housing and commercial code.
Fees:
Housing code enforcement officer may set a reasonable schedule of fees which are to be paid prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy required by this section.