Connecticut Sober Living Home Rules
If you own or operate a sober living home in Connecticut, its definition, certification and fire code class shape your insurance.
This article is general information about how insurance usually works in Connecticut. Your policy’s own wording decides what it covers. Ask us about yours.
A new flood policy usually takes 30 days to start. The main exception is when it is bought with a new or refinanced mortgage. Do not wait for a storm forecast.
Short Answer
Certification comes from a NARR affiliate or another recognized body, and the Department does not monitor or oversee these homes. The State Fire Marshal treats sober living homes as residential, not institutional, occupancies. Smoke alarms are required outside each sleeping area, in each sleeping room and on each story.
The Definition
A sober living home is an alcohol and drug free home where unrelated adults in recovery choose to live together, with no formal treatment on site.
Certification
The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services does not monitor, certify or oversee sober living homes. It lists certified homes as Public Act 18-171 requires. A certified home is certified by a NARR affiliate or another body the Department recognizes, such as the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences. A certified home with a resident diagnosed with opioid use disorder keeps at least two doses of an opioid antagonist and trains residents to use it.
Fire Code
The State Fire Marshal treats sober living homes as residential, not institutional, occupancies, because residents receive no care.
- Six or fewer residents in a single family home.
- The home is classified as R-3.
- More than six permanent residents.
- The home is classified as R-2.
- Smoke alarms.
- Alarms are required outside each sleeping area, in each sleeping room and on each story in R-2 and R-3 occupancies.
What This Means for Insurance
These are the facts that define the house. Share them as they are when you request a quote. Standard homeowners, renters and business policies do not cover flood. If the standard market declines the risk, we reach the surplus lines market through licensed surplus lines brokers. We tell you in writing how that coverage differs from a standard policy. No agency can promise a placement.
If a standard insurer says no, your policy may be placed this way, and it works a little differently. Some hard to place risks are insured by surplus lines carriers. These carriers are not licensed by the state as admitted insurers. Their policies can cost more, cover less or differently, and follow different cancellation and nonrenewal notice rules. They are generally not covered by the state insurance guaranty fund if the carrier fails. Surplus lines coverage is placed through a licensed surplus lines broker. We explain the differences to you in writing before you decide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sober living home in Connecticut?
An alcohol and drug free home where unrelated adults in recovery choose to live together, with no formal treatment on site.
Does Connecticut certify sober living homes?
The Department does not monitor, certify or oversee them, but it lists certified homes. Certification comes from a NARR affiliate or another recognized body.
Is a sober living home R-3 or R-2?
A home with six or fewer residents in a single family home is R-3, and more than six permanent residents makes it R-2.
Do sober living homes need smoke alarms?
Yes. Smoke alarms are required outside each sleeping area, in each sleeping room and on each story in R-2 and R-3 occupancies.
Why can it be difficult to find insurance for a sober living home?
Our practice includes commercial risks that other agencies find hard to place. Start with the page on group home and sober living insurance.