Foreclosure and Your Landlord

For Renters > Foreclosure and Your Landlord > Legal Assistance for Renters > Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) > Tenant Legislation

Determine your landlord's foreclosure status If you think that your landlord is being foreclosed upon, call the Superior Court Clerk’s Office, 235 Church Street, New Haven, at (203) 503-6800. Press “1” for “Civil Matters,” then provide the name of your landlord to find out whether your landlord is in foreclosure and whether your landlord still owns the property. If the owner has multiple properties in foreclosure and the clerk does not have time to check all the files, you can offer to come to the Clerk’s Office to check the files yourself. If your landlord still owns the property 1. Keep paying your rent! If you stop paying your rent, you could be evicted. 2. Keep tabs on the status of the foreclosure. Not all foreclosures go through. Many are resolved. 3. For more detailed info, check out the Is Your Landlord Going Through Foreclosure? page on the Connecticut Network for Legal Assistance website. If the foreclosure is complete and your landlord no longer owns the property 1. Find out the name and contact info for the new owner of your building from the Clerk’s Office. If it is a strict foreclosure, then the new owner would be the plaintiff in the foreclosure action. If it is a foreclosure by sale, then the clerk could provide the contact information for the sale committee for the property, which would then have information on the new owner by sale. 2. Expect to receive a letter or a visit from a broker representing the new owner offering a “cash for keys” deal to persuade you to move out right away. 3. Do not be intimidated into moving out right away. You have rights under a federal law called the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act. If you have a written lease, you are entitled to stay until the end of the lease. Even if your written lease has ended, you must be given at least 90-days notice before the new owner can start an eviction. If an eviction begins, you have the right to go to Housing Court and ask the Judge to give you up to 6 months to remain in the foreclosed building while you look for a new place to live.