Manchester, CT Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Under Code of Ordinances § 242-18, "the interior of a structure and equipment therein shall be maintained in good repair, structurally sound and in a sanitary condition." Each occupant must keep the portion of the structure they occupy clean and sanitary, but where a building holds a rooming house, dormitory, or two or more dwelling or nonresidential units, the owner is separately responsible for the shared and public areas. Structural members must be capable of supporting imposed loads, and interior surfaces, including windows and doors, must be kept in good, clean, sanitary condition, with peeling paint, cracked or loose plaster, and decayed wood corrected.

The same chapter's exterior companion, § 242-17, requires the exterior of a structure to be maintained "free of blight, structurally sound and sanitary so as not to pose a threat to the public health, safety or welfare," covering foundations, roofs, exterior walls, and stairways. The Blight Enforcement Officer and code official enforce both sections under § 242-6, which lets them inspect suspected violations, designate a building blighted or unsafe, and order correction within 60 days of written notice, with one or more 60-day extensions available if the owner is diligently working toward compliance.

Interior stairs, railings, handrails and guards must also meet § 242-41C's structural requirements. Tenants and owners share responsibility for supplying rubbish and recycling containers depending on building size under the adjoining § 242-19.