2026-09-09 · Connecticut · Legislation · Did not pass

Connecticut's 2026 accessory dwelling unit bill was raised with language that would have overridden covenants in common interest communities. That language was stripped before the bill advanced, and the bill then died on the House calendar anyway.¹

Both halves of that sentence matter to Connecticut associations, and the second half should not be allowed to obscure the first.

What the bill would have done

House Bill 5507, “An Act Promoting the Development of Accessory Dwelling Units,” would have renamed the “accessory apartment” statute to “accessory dwelling unit” throughout, repealed the municipal opt-out, and extended as-of-right ADUs to every municipality — including those that opted out before January 1, 2023 and those zoning under a special act. It would have voided non-conforming local regulations, limited what restrictions municipalities could impose, and directed the Department of Housing to create a pre-approved ADU plan programme. The proposed effective date was October 1, 2026.²

The association provision that came out

The Community Associations Institute's Connecticut chapter states that in its original form the bill “would have negated covenants in common interest communities regarding the construction of ADUs on association property,” and that the language was stricken before the bill advanced. The chapter's position moved from oppose to neutral as a result.³

That account comes from the organisation that lobbied for the change rather than from a legislative document, and it should be read as such. What can be confirmed independently is the outcome: the bill that emerged from Planning and Development on March 13, 2026 as a joint favourable substitute is a municipal zoning measure, and Connecticut association covenants on ADUs are untouched by anything that happened in the 2026 session.

How it died

Referred to Planning and Development March 5, 2026; public hearing March 11; joint favourable substitute March 13; File No. 258 and House Calendar 214 on March 30. Referred by the House to Appropriations April 7, joint favourable April 13, no new file April 15, tabled for the House calendar. Never called. Dead at adjournment on May 6, 2026.¹

1. HB 5507 (2026) bill status and complete history, Connecticut General Assembly — tabled for the House calendar April 15, 2026; never called ↩
2. OLR Bill Analysis, sHB 5507 (File No. 258), Office of Legislative Research ↩
3. 2026 Connecticut End of Legislative Session Report, CAI Advocacy (June 11, 2026) — the account of the stricken covenant language ↩
4. HB 5288 (2026), utility connections for accessory dwelling units — enacted as Public Act No. 26-7 ↩