Every Connecticut seller of a one- to four-unit residential property, including condominium and cooperative units, has to give the buyer a Residential Property Condition Report before the buyer signs a purchase agreement. A seller who does not provide it owes the buyer a $500 credit at closing.
That credit is still quoted as $300 in some places, because older versions of the state’s form remain online. The legislature raised it to $500 in 2012.
What changed in July 2025?
Public Act 25-33 added flood questions to the form, and the Department of Consumer Protection’s current version, revised in July 2025, asks sellers about these topics.
- whether the property is in a FEMA floodplain
- whether the owner has received federal disaster assistance
- past flood insurance claims
- water penetration into the house
The form also asks about radon testing and any radon mitigation system, and about current or past underground storage tanks. A separate Residential Foundation Condition Report covers pyrrhotite, a mineral linked to crumbling concrete foundations in other parts of the state.
How do I fill out the form?
Answer from what you know, and say so when you do not know. The form is a statement of the seller’s knowledge, not an inspection, and buyers’ attorneys read it closely. In Westport, the flood questions deserve particular care after the Sept. 13 storm, which flooded streets well inland. If the house took water, say so, and gather any repair records.
For a house built before 1978, federal law separately requires lead paint disclosures, including a pamphlet and a 10-day window for the buyer to inspect.
How does disclosure affect my price?
A complete, candid report can shorten negotiations. Buyers who find surprises after inspection tend to ask for credits, and buyers who find surprises after closing call lawyers. Our closing guide explains the rest of a Connecticut sale, and our flood guide explains what buyers will check.
Sources
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Residential Property Condition Report, revised July 2025
- Justia, Connecticut General Statutes 20-327c, accessed Oct. 2026
- Connecticut Office of Legislative Research, Summary of Public Act 12-122, 2012
- UConn School of Business, 2025 Connecticut legislative update, November 2025
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Real estate disclosures about potential lead hazards, May 27, 2026
