Landlords often conduct thorough background checks before agreeing to rent to a tenant. Typically, they want to avoid renting to people with a history of not paying rent or those who have faced eviction in the past in order to protect their investment in the property and ensure they receive rent in a timely manner.

However, not every negative mark on someone's rental history will always be easy to find. It's also possible for someone with a spotless previous rental record to become a nightmare tenant. When does a Connecticut landlord have the right to initiate eviction proceedings against a tenant that they no longer want in their unit?

Landlords can evict for non-payment of rent

One of the most common reasons that landlords initiate eviction proceedings involves tenants who are unable or unwilling to continue paying rent in full and on time as agreed in the rental contract. Landlords can submit proof of non-payment and attempt to evict the tenant, possibly while also retaining their security deposit to at least recoup some of the lost rent.

Landlords can evict if a tenant won't leave after a contract

Leases often run for 12 months, while others run month-to-month. Regardless of what term length the lease has, if a landlord wants a tenant to leave at the end of it and they will not go, the landlord can evict them even if they continue paying rent according to the lease.

Landlords can evict if tenants cause damage to the property or break the lease

If the landlord has documented proof of a tenant breaking the lease, that can be grounds for an eviction. Common lease violations include keeping pets without permission, having overnight guests or even painting the walls of the rental unit. Landlords can also evict when tenants cause damage to the property.

Landlords can evict tenants for illegal activity

When a tenant engages in illegal activity in a rental unit, they create the potential for substantial nuisance to the landlord, neighbors and other tenants. They also put the landlord at risk for civil asset forfeiture if law enforcement agencies want to try to seize the property because of its involvement in a criminal act.