Sec. 42-243. Lessor prohibited from imposing certain charges upon lessee. Permitted charges. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 42-243. Lessor prohibited from imposing certain charges upon lessee. Permitted charges. A lessor shall not charge a lessee for:

      (1) Any insurance whether in connection with the transaction or otherwise, except that a charge may be made for property insurance for the rented property if the charge is clearly disclosed as optional and does not exceed five per cent of the rental renewal payment;

      (2) In-home collection of a payment unless the lessee has expressly agreed to the fee and the amount of the fee is disclosed. This fee may not exceed five dollars, may not be assessed until after the expiration of the grace periods described in subdivision (3) of this section, may not be assessed more than three times in any six-month period, and may be charged in lieu of, but not in addition to, any allowable late charge;

      (3) Late payment of an installment unless the lessee has expressly agreed to the fee and the amount of the fee is disclosed. No such fee shall be assessed on any rental payment that is made within five days after the due date on rent-to-own agreements with monthly renewal dates and within three days after the due date on rent-to-own agreements with renewal dates more frequent than monthly. Thereafter a lessor may assess a late charge not to exceed five per cent of the late renewal payment or five dollars, whichever is less, except that a minimum late charge of one dollar may be assessed. Only one late fee may be assessed upon any delinquent renewal payment, regardless of the period during which it remains in default, and payments, when received, shall first be applied to the most recent payment due. With respect to renewal payments accepted by mail or by store deposit box, no lessor shall assess a late fee for payments which are postmarked or received before the expiration of the applicable grace periods;

      (4) Early termination of a rent-to-own agreement or for the return of an item at any point;

      (5) Picking up the rented property;

      (6) A separate payment in excess of the weekly or monthly rental renewal payment in order to acquire ownership of the rented property;

      (7) An application fee or processing fee in excess of ten dollars.

      (P.A. 91-162, S. 4, 18.)

      See Sec. 1-2a re construing of references to "United States mail" or "postmark" to include references to any delivery service designated by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to Section 7502 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or any successor to the code, as amended, and to any date recorded or marked as described in said Section 7502 by a designated delivery service and construing of "registered or certified mail" to include any equivalent designated by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to said Section 7502.