If you are a senior or disabled renter in Connecticut, the state may owe you money. It’s called the Renters’ Rebate Program, and it’s been putting cash back in the pockets of Connecticut renters since 1974. If you qualify, you could get up to $900 back based on the rent and utilities you paid last year.
Here’s everything you need to know before the application window closes.
What is the Renters’ Rebate Program?
The Renters’ Rebate Program is a Connecticut state benefit run by the Office of Policy and Management (OPM). It reimburses part of what elderly or disabled renters paid in rent and utilities the year before they apply. The idea is simple: renting is expensive, incomes on Social Security or disability benefits are fixed, and this program helps close that gap.
The rebate isn’t a one-time thing, either — you can apply for it every year as long as you continue to qualify.
How Much Money Can I Get?
Rebates can go up to $900 for married couples and $700 for single people. Your actual amount depends on a sliding income scale and how much you paid in rent and utilities (not counting your phone bill) during the previous calendar year. Generally, the lower your income and the higher your housing costs, the bigger your rebate.
There’s no flat amount everyone gets — the state calculates your rebate individually based on your income and expenses.
There’s a limit worth knowing about, though: if 5% of your yearly income is more than 35% of what you paid in rent and utilities combined, you won’t qualify for a rebate that year. Most low income renters spend well more than that on housing, so this mainly rules out people whose income is unusually high relative to their rent — but it’s part of why the state calculates every application individually rather than handing out a flat amount.
Who Is Eligible?
To qualify for the Connecticut Renters’ Rebate, you generally need to meet these requirements:
- You rent an apartment or room, live in cooperative housing, or live in a mobile home. Residents of nursing homes, assisted living, and congregate housing can qualify too.
- You’ve lived in Connecticut for at least one year at some point (it doesn’t have to be the year right before you apply)
- Your income for the previous calendar year falls below the state’s limit
- You meet at least ONE of the following qualifications:
- You (or your spouse) are 65 or older; OR
- You’re 18+ and receiving Social Security Disability benefits; OR
- You’re 50+ and the surviving spouse of a renter who had already qualified for the program before they passed away
For the 2026 filing period, income limits are $46,300 or less for a single person and $56,500 or less for a married couple. There’s no asset limit for this program, so owning savings, a retirement account, or a car won’t disqualify you — it’s your income that matters.
Sharing an apartment? You’re not automatically shut out. If you split rent and utilities with someone who isn’t your spouse — an adult child, a sibling, a roommate — each of you can apply separately for your share of the costs.
What Counts as Income (and What Doesn’t)?
This trips a lot of people up, so it’s worth its own section. “Qualifying income” for this program is broader than just your Social Security check. It includes things like:
- Wages, self-employment income, and pensions
- Social Security and Railroad Retirement (the taxable and non-taxable amounts)
- Interest, dividends, and capital gains
- Unemployment, workers’ compensation, and veteran’s disability payments
- IRA distributions (only the taxable portion), alimony, and lottery or legal settlement winnings
On the other hand, some common sources of help do not count as income for this program, including:
- Food stamps (SNAP) and TANF never count against you
- Gifts or financial help from family and friends
- SSI, energy assistance payments, and veteran’s benefits
- Life insurance proceeds and casualty loss reimbursements
- Child support payments
One important exception: if you received cash assistance directly from the Department of Social Services during the year, that amount will be subtracted from your rebate check. If subtracting it leaves you $10 or more, you’ll still get a (smaller) check. If it doesn’t, no check will be sent. Receiving SSI itself, though, does not disqualify you at all.
If you’re getting help through a rental subsidy like Section 8 or UniteCT, only the portion of rent you personally pay counts toward your rebate calculation — the subsidized part isn’t included either way, so it won’t help or hurt your application.
What Documents Will I Need?
When you apply, be ready to bring:
- Proof of age or disability (like your Social Security award letter or Benefit Verification Form)
- Your Social Security SSA-1099 for the previous year
- A copy of your federal tax return, if you filed one
- Proof of any other income, like pensions, annuities, or interest
- Rent receipts or a signed statement from your landlord showing what you paid in rent for the full year
- Utility bills you paid during the year (heat, gas, and electric only — phone, cable, and medical bills don’t count)
If you received rental or utility assistance through a program like UniteCT, that portion typically can’t be counted toward your rebate, so keep your own payment records separate.
If you moved partway through the year, or became a Connecticut renter partway through the year, you can still apply — your rebate will just be calculated based on the months you were renting here.
How Do I Apply?
Applications go through your town, not directly to the state — though your town’s paperwork is ultimately submitted to OPM electronically, so there’s no separate state portal for you to use yourself.
Here’s how the process works:
- Wait for the filing window. Applications are accepted starting April 1 and must be turned in by September 30 each year. There are no extensions, so don’t wait until the last minute.
- Apply through your town, not the state. You’ll file at your local assessor’s office or, in some towns, the social services department. Some towns also mail applications to people who applied the previous year — watch your mailbox in early spring if you’ve filed before.
- Bring all your documents together. Missing paperwork can slow things down or keep you from getting your rebate this cycle.
- Wait for your check. Rebate checks are mailed by November 30. If you haven’t received yours by December 15, call the Renters’ Rebate Program hotline at 860-418-6377.
Because you apply through your town rather than the state, requirements and hours can vary a little depending on where you live — it’s worth calling ahead to ask whether your town takes walk-ins or requires an appointment.
If you’re turned down, you have the right to appeal. You can submit a written appeal to OPM within 30 days of being denied or having your grant amount changed, and if that appeal is denied too, you can request a hearing.
Relief Recap
The Connecticut Renters’ Rebate Program offers real cash back to elderly and disabled renters who are stretching a fixed income to cover rising rent and utility bills. The keys to getting your rebate are simple: know your local town’s filing process, gather your rent and income paperwork early, and apply between April 1 and September 30 — since late applications aren’t accepted, no matter the reason. If you think you might qualify, contact your town’s assessor’s office now so you’re ready the moment the window opens.
