When any building or part thereof is occupied as a home or place of residence or as an office or place of business, either mercantile or otherwise, a temperature of less than sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit in such building or part thereof shall, for the purpose of this section, be deemed injurious to the health of the occupants thereof, except that the Commissioner of Public Health may adopt regulations establishing a temperature higher than sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit when the health, comfort or safety of the occupants of any such building or part thereof so requires. In any such building or part thereof where, because of physical characteristics or the nature of the business being conducted, a temperature of sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit cannot reasonably be maintained in certain areas, the Labor Commissioner may grant a variance for such areas. The owner of any building or the agent of such owner having charge of such property, or any lessor or his agent, manager, superintendent or janitor of any building, or part thereof, the lease or rental agreement whereof by its terms, express or implied, requires the furnishing of heat, cooking gas, electricity, hot water or water to any occupant of such building or part thereof, who, wilfully and intentionally, fails to furnish such heat to the degrees herein provided, cooking gas, electricity, hot water or water and thereby interferes with the cooking gas, electricity, hot water or water and thereby interferes with the comfortable or quiet enjoyment of the premises, at any time when the same are necessary to the proper or customary use of such building or part thereof, shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor. No public service company or electric supplier, as defined in section 16-1, shall, at the request of any such owner, agent, lessor, manager, superintendent or janitor, cause heat, cooking gas, electricity, hot water or water services to be terminated with respect to any such leased or rented property unless the owner or lessor furnishes a statement signed by the lessee agreeing to such termination or a notarized statement signed by the lessor to the effect that the premises are vacant.

(1949 Rev., S. 4150; 1967, P.A. 442; 1971, P.A. 434; P.A. 73-244; P.A. 77-2, S. 1, 4; P.A. 79-631, S. 101, 111; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 98-28, S. 65, 117; P.A. 12-80, S. 122; P.A. 13-208, S. 75.)

History: 1967 act added provision for variance and added owner as a responsible person; 1971 act prohibited termination of utility services unless lessee agrees in signed statement or lessor furnishes notarized statement that premises are vacant; P.A. 73-244 included among utilities covered in provisions cooking gas, electricity and water and deleted “light”; P.A. 77-2 changed minimum temperature to be maintained from sixty-eight to sixty-five degrees and added exception re higher minimum temperature when health, comfort or safety requires it; P.A. 79-631 replaced public health council with commissioner of health services; Sec. 19-65 transferred to Sec. 19a-109 in 1983; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 98-28 added electric suppliers, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 12-80 changed penalty from a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 60 days or both to a class D misdemeanor; P.A. 13-208 made a technical change.

Annotation to former section 19-65:

If lessor is obligated to heat premises, his failure to do so constitutes an eviction. 115 C. 247.