The law in plain English
Return deadline
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47a-21, the deposit response usually has to be sent within 21 days of the move-out timeline described by the state rule.
Required notice
Connecticut generally caps the deposit at 2 months' rent for most tenants and 1 month's rent for older tenants, and the landlord usually must return the money within 21 days after termination or 15 days after getting the forwarding address, whichever is later.
This dispute type
Connecticut renters usually push back on carpet-cleaning deductions when the landlord appears to be charging for routine turnover rather than a tenant-caused problem. The timing, itemization, and bad-faith rules still matter even when the landlord says the carpet needed extra work.
Penalty leverage
If the withholding was wrongful or in bad faith, the exposure allowed under the statute is: You can recover up to twice the deposit amount, plus attorney's fees