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Storage lien laws · State guide

Connecticut storage lien laws

Connecticut General Statutes Title 42, Chapter 743 (Self-Service Storage Facilities), §§ 42-159 to 42-168 →Verified 2026-06-11

Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 743 gives a storage facility owner a lien on all property in a leased space for unpaid rent, labor, and related charges from the date the occupant defaults. The owner must deliver a written notice — in plain language and a simple format — by personal delivery, email, or USPS-tracked mail. If sent by email and not confirmed opened within seven days, a follow-up USPS-tracked notice is required. The notice must give the occupant at least 14 days to cure and warn that property will be advertised and sold if the amount due is not paid within 60 days of default. The owner may then advertise and hold a lien sale (in person or online) no sooner than 10 days after publication and no later than 60 days after default. Surplus proceeds must be held for the occupant for two years. Vehicles, vessels, and trailers have a separate path: the owner may pursue DMV title transfer or, at 60 days of unpaid charges, have the property towed by an insured tower.

At a glance

CT · verified 2026-06-11
Statute
Connecticut General Statutes Title 42, Chapter 743 (Self-Service Storage Facilities), §§ 42-159 to 42-168
Notice delivery
Personal delivery to the occupant — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-161(b) · Electronic mail to the last-known email address; notice must include a statement that opening the email is acceptance of the notice — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-161(b) · Registered or certified mail with a unique tracking number assigned by the United States Postal Service to the last-known postal address — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-161(b) · If email is used and the owner has not received confirmation the occupant opened it within 7 days of sending, the owner must also send by registered or certified mail with a unique USPS tracking number — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-161(c)
Sale method
The sale or disposition may be conducted at the self-service storage facility, at the nearest suitable place convenient to the stored property, or online. The sale must conform to the terms stated in the lien-enforcement notice. A purchaser in good faith takes free of the occupant's rights despite any procedural non-compliance by the owner.
Late fees
No statutory cap or floor on late fees in Chapter 743. Connecticut General Statutes §§ 42-159 to 42-168 do not address late fees; the amount, timing, and conditions are controlled entirely by the rental agreement. Operators should ensure late-fee provisions are clearly stated in the rental agreement. Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110b) may apply if fees are deemed deceptive or unconscionable — consult counsel if fees are unusually high relative to rent.
Vehicles & boats
For motor vehicles, the full DMV lien-sale path requires: facility registration (Form H-123), DMV inquiry for owner/lienholder identity, written notice to owner/lienholder within 10 days of receiving that information, filing of Notice of Intent to Transfer (Form H-124) with $10 fee, a public sale after advertisement, and delivery of Form H-125 (Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Transfer) to the buyer. The buyer must obtain a VIN verification at a DMV location, complete registration, and may be subject to emissions testing. Alternatively, the owner may have the vehicle towed by an insured tower at 60+ days of default under § 42-160(e), bypassing the DMV path; post-tow title mechanics are not addressed in § 42-160(e) and should be confirmed with the licensed tower.

The lien clock

Each station below is a statutory checkpoint. Miss one and the sale can be challenged — this is the timeline LotWarden tracks automatically.

  1. 01

    Day 0 — the date the occupant fails to perform any obligation under the rental agreement

    Lien attaches on default

    The owner's lien on all personal property in the storage space attaches automatically on the date of default. The lien covers unpaid rent, labor, other valid charges, expenses for preserving the property, and reasonable expenses of sale. The lien does not have priority over a security interest that attached or was perfected before the default.

    Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-160(a)

  2. 02

    After default; must allow at least 14 days to cure before sale

    Lien-enforcement notice delivered

    The owner must send a written lien-enforcement notice in plain language and a simple format to the occupant (and to any person who has filed a valid security interest in the occupant's name with the Secretary of the State) by personal delivery, email, or USPS-tracked mail (registered or certified with a unique tracking number assigned by the United States Postal Service). If sent by email and not confirmed opened within 7 days of sending, the owner must also send by registered or certified mail with a unique USPS tracking number. The notice must contain an itemized claim, a property description, any access-denial information, a demand for payment giving the occupant at least 14 days to cure, and a conspicuous statement that the property will be advertised and sold if the amount due is not paid within 60 days of default.

    Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-161, 42-162

  3. 03

    Days 1–14 (minimum) after delivery of the lien-enforcement notice

    14-day cure period

    The occupant or any person proving a valid security interest in the property may redeem the property at any time before the sale by paying all amounts due plus reasonable enforcement expenses. On receipt of full payment, the owner must return the property and has no further liability.

    Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-165

  4. 04

    After the cure period expires; at least 10 days before the sale date; sale must occur within 60 days of default

    Advertisement published

    The owner may advertise the sale in any print or online newspaper of general circulation in the municipality where the facility is located, or on any publicly accessible, independent website that regularly conducts online auctions of personal property. The advertisement must be published at least once within a period not less than ten days preceding the date of the sale. The ad must include: (a) a description of the property per § 42-162; (b) the occupant's name, the facility address, and the unit number; and (c) the time, place, and manner of sale.

    Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-164(a)

  5. 05

    No sooner than 10 days after advertisement publication; no later than 60 days after the date of default

    Lien sale conducted

    The sale or other disposition must conform to the terms stated in the lien notice and may be held at the self-service storage facility, at the nearest suitable place convenient to where the property is stored, or online. A purchaser in good faith takes the property free of any rights of persons against whom the lien was valid, even if the owner did not fully comply with the statute's procedural requirements.

    Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-163, 42-164(b), 42-166

  6. 06

    Immediately after the sale

    Proceeds allocated and surplus held

    Sale proceeds are applied in this order: (1) expenses of the sale; (2) any lien or security interest having priority over the owner's lien; (3) the owner's lien. The owner must hold any remaining balance and deliver it on demand to the occupant or any other party with an interest. If no claim is made within two years of the sale date, the balance becomes the owner's property.

    Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-164(c), 42-167

Notice requirements

Permitted delivery

  • Personal delivery to the occupant — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-161(b)
  • Electronic mail to the last-known email address; notice must include a statement that opening the email is acceptance of the notice — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-161(b)
  • Registered or certified mail with a unique tracking number assigned by the United States Postal Service to the last-known postal address — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-161(b)
  • If email is used and the owner has not received confirmation the occupant opened it within 7 days of sending, the owner must also send by registered or certified mail with a unique USPS tracking number — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-161(c)

The notice must include

  • Itemized statement of the owner's claim: amount due at the time of the notice and the date it became due — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-162(1)
  • Description of the personal property subject to the lien sufficient to permit its identification; locked containers may be described as such without listing contents — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-162(2)
  • Notice of denial of access (if permitted by the rental agreement), including the owner's name, street address, and telephone number — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-162(3)
  • Conspicuous demand for payment within a conspicuously specified time not less than 14 days after delivery of the notice — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-162(4)
  • Conspicuous statement that unless the amount due is paid within the sixty days after default the owner will advertise the personal property for sale or disposition and will sell or otherwise dispose of such personal property, with the date, time, and place of the sale specified in the notice — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-162(5)
  • Notice must be in plain language and a simple format — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-162 (as amended by P.A. 22-70)

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-161, 42-162

The part most guides skip

Vehicles, boats & RVs

Connecticut expressly addresses motor vehicles, vessels, and trailers in § 42-160, giving operators two distinct disposal paths. PATH 1 — DMV Title-Transfer Lien Sale (§ 42-160(b)-(c) + Conn. Agency Regs. §§ 42-160-1 to 42-160-6): The owner must (a) first register the facility with CT DMV by filing Form H-123 (one-time); (b) contact the DMV Dealers & Repairers Unit to obtain the registered owner's and any lienholder's identity; (c) within 10 days of receiving that information, send a written notice by registered/certified mail (return receipt requested) to any lienholder and to the registered owner if the owner is not the occupant, stating the vehicle is held under a lien; (d) file Form H-124 (Notice of Intent to Transfer) with a $10 fee per vehicle; (e) advertise and conduct the public sale; and (f) provide the buyer with Form H-125 (Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Transfer), a bill of sale, copies of the newspaper ads, and proof of notice. Any motor vehicle sale is void if the § 42-160(b) notice to the Commissioner was not given. PATH 2 — Tow-Out (§ 42-160(e)): If any rent, labor, or other valid charges for a motor vehicle, vessel, or trailer have been unpaid for at least 60 days, the owner may instead have the property towed by an insured tower, and need not follow the DMV notice-and-title-transfer path in subsections (b)-(d). Section 42-160(e) does not specify what happens to title after the tow; operators should coordinate with the licensed insured tower on post-tow title mechanics before the tow occurs. Vessels follow a separate statutory path under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 49-55 to 49-59.

Titled property path

For motor vehicles, the full DMV lien-sale path requires: facility registration (Form H-123), DMV inquiry for owner/lienholder identity, written notice to owner/lienholder within 10 days of receiving that information, filing of Notice of Intent to Transfer (Form H-124) with $10 fee, a public sale after advertisement, and delivery of Form H-125 (Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Transfer) to the buyer. The buyer must obtain a VIN verification at a DMV location, complete registration, and may be subject to emissions testing. Alternatively, the owner may have the vehicle towed by an insured tower at 60+ days of default under § 42-160(e), bypassing the DMV path; post-tow title mechanics are not addressed in § 42-160(e) and should be confirmed with the licensed tower.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-160(b)-(e); Conn. Agency Regs. §§ 42-160-1 to 42-160-6; CT DMV Forms H-123, H-124, H-125

Sale rules

Method
The sale or disposition may be conducted at the self-service storage facility, at the nearest suitable place convenient to the stored property, or online. The sale must conform to the terms stated in the lien-enforcement notice. A purchaser in good faith takes free of the occupant's rights despite any procedural non-compliance by the owner.
Advertising
The owner may advertise in any print or online newspaper of general circulation in the municipality, or on any publicly accessible, independent website that regularly conducts online auctions of personal property (e.g., StorageTreasures, Bid13). Section 42-164(a) (as amended by P.A. 22-70) requires the advertisement to be published at least once within a period not less than ten days preceding the sale date. The ad must include a property description, occupant name, facility address and unit number, and the time, place, and manner of sale. The sale may not take place sooner than 10 days after publication or later than 60 days after the date of default.
Proceeds & surplus
Proceeds are applied to: (1) expenses of the sale, (2) any prior-ranking lien or perfected security interest, then (3) the owner's lien. Any surplus must be held by the owner for at least two years and released on demand to the occupant or any other interested party. If unclaimed for two years from the sale date, the surplus becomes the owner's property. Connecticut unclaimed-property law (Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 32, §§ 3-57a et seq.) may separately govern reporting obligations for unclaimed funds — operators should confirm applicability with counsel.

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-163, 42-164, 42-166, 42-167

Late fees

No statutory cap or floor on late fees in Chapter 743. Connecticut General Statutes §§ 42-159 to 42-168 do not address late fees; the amount, timing, and conditions are controlled entirely by the rental agreement. Operators should ensure late-fee provisions are clearly stated in the rental agreement. Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-110b) may apply if fees are deemed deceptive or unconscionable — consult counsel if fees are unusually high relative to rent.

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-159 to 42-168 (no statutory provision); contract controls

Operator questions

I store boats and RVs outdoors. Does Connecticut's self-storage lien law cover my facility?

Yes. Connecticut General Statutes § 42-159(7) defines a self-service storage facility as real property designed and used for renting individual storage spaces for personal property access — it does not limit coverage to enclosed units. Section 42-159(5) defines "personal property" to include motor vehicles, and § 42-160 expressly covers motor vehicles, vessels, and trailers. An outdoor lot renting individual spaces for boat, RV, or trailer storage under a written rental agreement falls within Chapter 743. If your facility issues a document of title for stored property, different rules apply under UCC Article 7.

When can I tow a boat or RV off my lot for non-payment — and what does that process look like?

Under § 42-160(e), you may have any motor vehicle, vessel, or trailer towed by an insured tower once rent and other charges have been unpaid for at least 60 days. You do not need to complete the DMV notice-and-title-transfer process (§ 42-160(b)-(d)) if you use the tow path. However, § 42-160(e) is silent on what happens to title after the tow. Before you authorize the tow, coordinate with the licensed insured tower to confirm what post-tow steps are required to transfer title to a buyer or the tower.

Can I send the lien notice by email, and what happens if I don't know whether it was opened?

Yes. Under § 42-161(b), you may send the lien-enforcement notice by email. Your email must include a statement that opening it is acceptance of the notice. If you do not receive confirmation that the occupant opened the email within 7 days of sending it, § 42-161(c) requires you to also send the notice by registered or certified mail with a unique tracking number assigned by the United States Postal Service. The safest practice for RV and boat operators — where occupants may check email infrequently — is to send both email and USPS-tracked mail simultaneously.

Do I need to run newspaper ads, or can I sell online?

Section 42-164(a) (as amended by P.A. 22-70, effective July 1, 2022) allows you to advertise in any print or online newspaper of general circulation in the municipality, or on any publicly accessible, independent website that regularly conducts online auctions of personal property (such as StorageTreasures). The enrolled statutory text requires the advertisement to be published at least once, no fewer than 10 days before the sale. The sale itself may also be conducted online under § 42-163.

What is the hard deadline for completing the lien sale?

Section 42-164(b) states the sale "shall not take place sooner than ten days after publication of the advertisement nor sixty days after the date of default." This means the sale window is day 10 (post-ad) through day 60 (post-default). If the sale does not occur within 60 days of default, you must restart the notice and advertisement process. Plan your timeline carefully: the notice must give the occupant at least 14 days to cure (§ 42-162(4)), the ad must run at least 10 days before the sale (§ 42-164(a)), and the sale must happen by day 60.

What do I do with money left over after the auction covers what I'm owed?

Under § 42-167, you must hold the surplus and deliver it on demand to the occupant or any other party with an interest. If no one claims the balance within two years of the sale date, it becomes your property. Connecticut's unclaimed property statute (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 3-57a et seq.) may separately require you to report and remit unclaimed funds to the State Treasurer before the two-year period runs — confirm with counsel or the Office of the State Treasurer whether the two-year Chapter 743 hold satisfies or interacts with unclaimed-property reporting obligations.

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