2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 42 - Business, Selling, Trading and Collection Practices
Chapter 743i - Consumer Rent-to-Own Agreements
Section 42-245 - Liability damage waiver. Fee. Notice. Prohibitions and requirements.

In addition to the other charges permitted by section 42-243, the parties may contract for a liability waiver fee not to exceed seven and one-half per cent of any periodic rental payment. The selling or offering for sale of a liability damage waiver pursuant to this section is subject to the following prohibitions and requirements:

(1) A lessor may not sell or offer to sell a liability damage waiver unless all restrictions, conditions and exclusions are printed in the rent-to-own agreement, or in a separate agreement, in eight-point type, or larger, or written in pen and ink or typewritten in or on the face of the rent-to-own agreement in a blank space provided therefor. The liability damage waiver may exclude only loss or damage to the property which is the subject of the rent-to-own agreement caused intentionally by the lessee or which results from the lessee's wilful or wanton misconduct.

(2) The liability damage waiver agreement pursuant to this section must include a statement of the total charge for the liability damage waiver. The liability damage waiver agreement must display in eight-point boldface type the following notice:

NOTICE

THIS CONTRACT OFFERS, FOR AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE, A LIABILITY DAMAGE WAIVER TO COVER YOUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPERTY. BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO PURCHASE THE LIABILITY DAMAGE WAIVER, YOU MAY WISH TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR OWN HOMEOWNERS OR CASUALTY INSURANCE AFFORDS YOU COVERAGE FOR DAMAGE TO THE RENTAL PROPERTY, AND THE AMOUNT OF THE DEDUCTIBLE UNDER YOUR OWN INSURANCE COVERAGE. THE PURCHASE OF THIS LIABILITY DAMAGE WAIVER IS NOT MANDATORY AND MAY BE DECLINED.

(3) The liability damage waiver agreement must provide:

(A) That the property which is lost, damaged or destroyed will be replaced with substitute property of substantially comparable quality and condition; and

(B) That the total amount of rental renewal payments necessary to acquire ownership of the substitute property shall not exceed the total amount of rental renewal payments which would have been necessary to acquire ownership of the original property at the time it was lost, damaged or destroyed.

(P.A. 91-162, S. 6, 18.)