In Connecticut, a delinquent unit cannot be sold sooner than 60 days after the tenant's default, and not sooner than 10 days after your sale ad is published. Your written notice must give at least 14 days to pay, and you may advertise only after that payment period has ended.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Review your notices and sale plan with your attorney before you act.
Connecticut lien timeline at a glance
Connecticut's Self-Service Storage Facilities law is Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-159 to 42-168, last changed by P.A. 22-70 in 2022. The lien attaches on the date of default. The statute fixes no day for sending the first notice. The only fixed numbers are the 14-day payment demand, the 10-day ad window and the 60-day floor before sale.
| Step | Earliest timing | What the law requires | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Default | Day 0 | Lien attaches on the date of default. The statute sets no grace period. | § 42-159(1), § 42-160(a) |
| 2. Lien notice | Any time after default | Written notice by hand, email or registered or certified mail with a USPS tracking number. Demand payment at least 14 days after delivery. Also notify secured parties on file with the Secretary of the State. | § 42-161(b), (c), § 42-162 |
| 3. Payment period ends | At least 14 days after delivery | Tenant may pay and redeem. You may not advertise until it ends. | § 42-162, § 42-164(a) |
| 4. Advertisement | After the payment period | Print or online newspaper in the municipality, or a public independent website that regularly runs online auctions. Publish at least once within a period not less than 10 days before the sale. | § 42-164(a) |
| 5. Sale | Day 60 at the earliest | Not sooner than 10 days after the ad and not sooner than 60 days after default. Facility, nearest suitable place or online. | § 42-163, § 42-164(b) |
Worked example: a tenant defaults on January 1. You deliver the notice on January 15, so the pay-by date is January 29. You publish on February 20. March 2 is day 60 after default and more than 10 days after the ad, so that is the earliest sale. The statute does not say whether the 14-day period and the 10-day ad period can overlap, and the ad must follow the payment period, so build your calendar in that order and confirm it with your attorney.
What the Connecticut lien notice must say and how to send it
The notice must be in plain language and in writing. It itemizes the debt, describes the contents, demands payment within a stated time of at least 14 days after delivery, denies access if your lease allows that, and says that if the debt is unpaid the goods will be sold on a stated date, time and place (§ 42-162).
Deliver it in one of these ways (§ 42-161(b), (c)):
- In person.
- By email, if the message states that opening the email is acceptance of the notice. If you have no confirmation within 7 days that the tenant opened it, also send it by registered or certified mail.
- By registered or certified mail with a USPS unique tracking number.
Alternate contacts and lienholders
Connecticut has no alternate contact requirement. You must send the notice to anyone who filed a valid security interest in the tenant's name with the Secretary of the State. For motor vehicles, notice also goes to the lienholders and owner identified through the DMV (§ 42-161(b), § 42-160(b)). Search the Secretary of the State's records before you send.
Advertising the sale
Advertising is allowed after the payment period in the notice has expired. Use a print or online newspaper of general circulation in the municipality, or a publicly accessible independent website that regularly conducts online auctions of personal property. Publish at least once, within a period not less than 10 days before the sale (§ 42-164(a)). The legislative history note mentions a change from "once" to "twice," but the current text says at least once, and that is what we followed.
Late fee limits
Chapter 743 has no late fee provision and no cap. Your rental agreement controls the amount. Because the statute is silent, ask your attorney whether general contract law limits what you charge.
Sale rules, surplus and records
- Where. The facility, the nearest suitable place, or online. The sale must match the terms in your notice.
- Order of payment. Sale expenses first, then prior lienholders and security interests, then the owner (§ 42-163, § 42-164).
- Priority. Your lien does not outrank a security interest that attached or was perfected before default.
- Surplus. Hold the balance for delivery on demand to the tenant or any other party with an interest. If it is unclaimed within two years of the sale, it becomes yours. The statute says nothing about turning it over to the state (§ 42-167).
- Records. No retention period is stated. Keep the lease, notice, proof of delivery, ad and sale paperwork, and ask your attorney how long.
Vehicles and boats
For a motor vehicle, first contact the DMV to identify the lienholders and owner. Send a written notice to the Commissioner with the VIN, dates, lien amount, registration and names, plus a $10 fee. Then notify the lienholder and any non-occupant owner by registered or certified mail within 10 days of receiving the DMV information. A sale without the DMV notice is void. For a vessel, follow §§ 49-55 to 49-59. As an alternative, a motor vehicle, vessel or trailer unpaid at least 60 days may be towed by an insured tower, and then you need not follow subsections (b) to (d) (§ 42-160).
Active-duty military (SCRA)
Federal law adds protections for servicemembers, and owners must check military status before a sale. See 50 U.S.C. 3958.
Common mistakes checklist
- Advertising before the payment period in the notice has ended.
- Selling before day 60 after default, even if the ad ran.
- Giving fewer than 14 days to pay.
- Emailing without the opening-is-acceptance statement, or skipping the mailed backup after 7 days of silence.
- Not checking the Secretary of the State for secured parties.
- Selling a vehicle without the DMV notice, which makes the sale void.
- Ignoring a security interest that was perfected before the default.
- Selling before checking servicemember status.
Tools to help
Use the lien timeline calculator to count your dates, read about lien and auction management, and see all state lien laws. The self storage auction process guide covers the sale itself, and the lien notice template gives you a starting draft.
What we could not confirm
We read the official chapter text from cga.ct.gov. The statute gives no day count for sending the first notice. Section 42-162(5) is awkwardly worded about the sixty days after default. Whether the 14-day payment demand and the 10-day ad window can overlap is not explicit. The site notes a 2026 Supplement that may hold later changes, and we did not check it. The statute says nothing about escheat of surplus. Check the current code with your attorney.
Last reviewed: October 19, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Review every notice and sale with your attorney.