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CT · Flood-disclosure law

Does a Connecticut seller have to disclose flooding?

Connecticut requires the seller of residential property (1-4 dwelling units) to give the buyer a written Residential Property Condition Report before the buyer signs a purchase contract; the standard report specifically asks whether the property is in a flood hazard area and about drainage/water problems, so known flooding must be disclosed.

Connecticut at a glance

Flood-specific disclosure

The statute or the state-mandated form has dedicated flood questions — flood-zone status, flood history, prior claims, or flood-insurance history.

DisclosureRequired
Opt-outYes — caution
Corroborated (secondary)· verified June 16, 2026
Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-327b to 20-327e (report requirement and flood-hazard content); § 20-327c ($500 credit / civil action for nondisclosure)

The 4-card answer

Connecticut flood-disclosure, decoded

Whether the seller must disclose, what triggers it, the penalties, and any opt-out gotcha — each card cites its source.

Does the seller have to disclose flooding?

Disclosure required

Flood-specific disclosure

Connecticut requires the seller of residential property (1-4 dwelling units) to give the buyer a written Residential Property Condition Report before the buyer signs a purchase contract; the standard report specifically asks whether the property is in a flood hazard area and about drainage/water problems, so known flooding must be disclosed.

The statute or the state-mandated form has dedicated flood questions — flood-zone status, flood history, prior claims, or flood-insurance history.

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-327b to 20-327e (report requirement and flood-hazard content); § 20-327c ($500 credit / civil action for nondisclosure)Corroborated (secondary)· verified June 16, 2026

What triggers the duty

  • Sale, exchange, or lease-with-purchase-option of residential real property of four dwelling units or less (including condos and co-ops)
  • Report due before the buyer executes any binder, contract to purchase, option, or lease containing a purchase option

Penalties & remedies

Seller who fails to furnish the report must credit the purchaser $500 at closing; a seller may also face a civil action for nondisclosure of certain defects under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-327c.

Buyer remedy: $500 credit at closing if no report is furnished; civil action for nondisclosure of certain defects. Paying the credit does not excuse the seller from disclosing known defects.

Opt-out gotchas

An opt-out / waiver exists. A seller may decline to provide the Residential Property Condition Report by crediting the purchaser $500 at closing; however, this does not relieve the seller of liability for failing to disclose a known defect.

Research note ▾

Statute requirement, the flood-hazard question on the report, and the $500 credit are consistently corroborated across the official CT DCP disclosure form URL and multiple statute mirrors; however the primary cga.ct.gov text could not be directly fetched in-session (SSL chain error) and other mirrors returned 403, so confidence set to secondary. The $500 figure was increased from $300 effective July 1, 2012. Report asks whether the property is in a flood hazard area or inland wetlands area. NOTE: This CT $500 credit is a DIFFERENT mechanism than the (now-repealed) NY $500 opt-out.

Buyer's rights

If you're buying in Connecticut

Your rights re-framed from the buyer's side, plus a pre-closing checklist that holds in every state.

What Connecticut law gives you as a buyer

Connecticut requires a seller disclosure (see the answer cards), so you have a statutory document to rely on — and a remedy if the seller knowingly withheld a material flood fact. $500 credit at closing if no report is furnished; civil action for nondisclosure of certain defects. Paying the credit does not excuse the seller from disclosing known defects.

Watch the opt-out: A seller may decline to provide the Residential Property Condition Report by crediting the purchaser $500 at closing; however, this does not relieve the seller of liability for failing to disclose a known defect.

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-327b to 20-327e (report requirement and flood-hazard content); § 20-327c ($500 credit / civil action for nondisclosure)

Your pre-closing checklist (works in every state)

  • Pull a free FEMA flood-zone lookup

    Enter the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center to see the property's flood-zone designation (Special Flood Hazard Area = Zone A/V). This is public and free, regardless of what the seller discloses.

    msc.fema.gov ↗

  • Request a CLUE / loss-history report

    A C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report shows insurance claims filed on the property in the last ~7 years, including water and flood claims. The current owner can pull theirs free once a year from LexisNexis.

    LexisNexis consumer disclosure ↗

  • Get an independent inspection — ask about water

    Hire your own inspector and specifically flag drainage, grading, sump pumps, and signs of past water intrusion (staining, efflorescence, fresh paint in basements). An inspection contingency protects you if problems surface.

  • Get a flood-insurance quote before you waive contingencies

    Quote NFIP or private flood coverage early. Homeowners' insurance does NOT cover flood damage. A federally backed mortgage on a property in a Special Flood Hazard Area generally requires flood insurance — budget for it.

    floodsmart.gov ↗

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Connecticut

Does the seller have to disclose flooding?

Disclosure required

Flood-specific disclosure

Connecticut requires the seller of residential property (1-4 dwelling units) to give the buyer a written Residential Property Condition Report before the buyer signs a purchase contract; the standard report specifically asks whether the property is in a flood hazard area and about drainage/water problems, so known flooding must be disclosed.

The statute or the state-mandated form has dedicated flood questions — flood-zone status, flood history, prior claims, or flood-insurance history.

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-327b to 20-327e (report requirement and flood-hazard content); § 20-327c ($500 credit / civil action for nondisclosure)Corroborated (secondary)· verified June 16, 2026

What triggers the duty

  • Sale, exchange, or lease-with-purchase-option of residential real property of four dwelling units or less (including condos and co-ops)
  • Report due before the buyer executes any binder, contract to purchase, option, or lease containing a purchase option

Penalties & remedies

Seller who fails to furnish the report must credit the purchaser $500 at closing; a seller may also face a civil action for nondisclosure of certain defects under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-327c.

Buyer remedy: $500 credit at closing if no report is furnished; civil action for nondisclosure of certain defects. Paying the credit does not excuse the seller from disclosing known defects.

Opt-out gotchas

An opt-out / waiver exists. A seller may decline to provide the Residential Property Condition Report by crediting the purchaser $500 at closing; however, this does not relieve the seller of liability for failing to disclose a known defect.

Research note ▾

Statute requirement, the flood-hazard question on the report, and the $500 credit are consistently corroborated across the official CT DCP disclosure form URL and multiple statute mirrors; however the primary cga.ct.gov text could not be directly fetched in-session (SSL chain error) and other mirrors returned 403, so confidence set to secondary. The $500 figure was increased from $300 effective July 1, 2012. Report asks whether the property is in a flood hazard area or inland wetlands area. NOTE: This CT $500 credit is a DIFFERENT mechanism than the (now-repealed) NY $500 opt-out.

Summary of Connecticut law as of June 2026. Not legal advice.

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