Sunrun's Connecticut settlement: what to check before a sale

Short answer: On October 23, 2026, Connecticut's attorney general announced settlements with Sunrun and a sales company called Elevate Solar Solutions over 25-year solar leases the state said were signed with forged electronic signatures and faked confirmation calls. Sunrun pays the state $300,000, didn't admit liability, and has to review fraud claims from affected customers. If you're buying or selling a home with a solar lease, in Connecticut or anywhere else, the first step is the same: get the signed contract and compare it to what the homeowner thinks they agreed to.

What did Connecticut say happened?

The state sued in July 2024. The lawsuit named Sunrun, Sunrun Installation Services, Elevate Solar Solutions, Bright Planet Solar, and two Elevate salespeople. It alleged deceptive sales tactics under Connecticut's unfair trade practices and home improvement laws.

The examples in the complaint are hard to forget. These are the state's allegations, not court findings.

In Windsor, a homeowner turned down a 25-year lease, and so did her father. The state alleged a salesperson applied an electronic signature anyway, with her initials reversed and the date backdated. Someone then allegedly impersonated her voice on the confirmation call. A 36-panel system went up.

In Stafford Springs, the state alleged a forged electronic signature on a $314-a-month lease, no copy of the signed contract, and no mention that the payment would rise 2.9% every year.

In Wethersfield, the homeowner did sign. She just never got a physical copy of the contract.

The state also alleged that systems went up without permits, were never turned on, and kept billing homeowners who asked to have them removed.

What does the settlement require from Sunrun?

Sunrun has to notify customers whose contracts came through Elevate, the two named salespeople, or others it believes acted the same way. It then has to investigate fraud claims and give customers an answer within set deadlines.

When a claim holds up, the relief can include:

• Cash payments
• Account credits or rate reductions
• Cancelling the contract, with the equipment removed and physical damage repaired

Disputes over how a claim was handled go to an arbitrator, and Sunrun pays the arbitrator's costs.

One term matters a lot for home sales. Customers who never received a physical copy of their contract can ask to cancel, and Sunrun has to honor the request.

Going forward, Sunrun salespeople can't collect in-person electronic signatures unless the customer first gets an unsigned copy to read. Elevate has to dissolve. The two salespeople face 10-year limits on home-improvement sales work in Connecticut.

Sunrun customers in Connecticut can send claims to CTSupport@sunrun.com. Complaints about any solar company can go to the Connecticut Attorney General's office or the Department of Consumer Protection.

Why does this matter when the house is for sale?

A solar lease doesn't disappear at closing. Usually the buyer takes it over after the solar company approves them, or the seller pays it off or buys out the system. Either way, someone needs the real contract. Our guide to selling a home with leased solar walks through the transfer process.

That's where cases like this bite. A seller who never had a copy may not know the payment in year 12. Or the escalator. Or what the transfer process asks of a buyer.

A 2.9% yearly increase sounds small. So does "just one more episode," and we all know how that goes.

What does a 2.9% escalator add up to?

Here's plain arithmetic on the Stafford Springs numbers: a $314 monthly payment that rises 2.9% once a year for 25 years.

That's roughly $41,400 more than a flat payment would cost. A buyer who takes over that lease in year six starts at about $362 a month and inherits every increase after that.

Surprises at a sale usually come from a gap between what the seller remembers and what the paper says. Forged signatures are the extreme version. The everyday version is a seller who honestly believes the payment is flat.

What do sellers need to pull together before listing?

You don't need a law degree for this part. You need documents.

• The full signed contract. Every page, including the signature page. If you don't have one, ask the solar company for it in writing and keep the date you asked.
• The payment history. Twelve months of statements show the current payment and whether it has already gone up.
• The escalator, if any. Find the yearly increase in the contract, not the sales flyer.
• The transfer section. Credit requirements, fees, notice periods, and how long the company takes to approve a buyer.
• Buyout or prepayment terms. Some leases list a purchase price by year. Others say "fair market value."
• Any lien or UCC-1 filing. Title will find it. Better you find it first. See how UCC-1 filings affect closing.

If the signature or the terms don't match what you agreed to, that's a question for the solar company, your state attorney general's office, or a licensed real estate attorney. RateMySolar isn't a law firm, and we can't tell you whether a claim applies to you.

What can buyers and their agents ask?

Buyers can ask for the same documents, starting with the signed lease and a current statement. A few questions that tend to save time later:

• What's the payment today, and what will it be in the final year?
• How many years are left?
• Does the system produce power? Monitoring data or recent electric bills will show it.
• Was the system permitted and turned on by the utility?
• Is there any open complaint, claim or dispute with the solar company?

That last one is new to a lot of checklists. After this settlement, it probably belongs on Connecticut ones. A lease under an active fraud claim could end in cancellation and removal, and that changes what the buyer is actually getting. An experienced agent who has closed solar homes before will usually ask it early, while there's still time to sort it out. State rules on export credits and disclosures are on our Connecticut solar page and the full Solar by state list.

How can RateMySolar help?

Upload the solar contract and we pull out the terms, payments and transfer rules and lay the numbers next to published local data. The report covers five areas, from contract terms to financial value; How we grade describes what each one looks at. You also get the payment schedule through the end of the term, what's left to pay, and the paths sellers and buyers usually take.

Your first upload is free and gives you a locked preview of the report. The full graded report is $49.99 per contract and includes the MLS solar fields and remarks.

A report won't tell you whether a signature is valid. It shows what the contract says, which is the thing everyone needs to compare against before the closing date gets close. Our reports are AI-assisted and only partly reliable, so check them against the contract and have the contract reviewed before closing. A report is information, not legal or financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

What did Sunrun agree to in the Connecticut settlement?

Sunrun agreed to pay Connecticut $300,000, notify affected customers, investigate fraud claims, and offer cash, credits, rate reductions or cancellation with equipment removal when a claim holds up. It didn't admit liability.

Can I cancel a Sunrun lease in Connecticut if I never got a copy?

Under the settlement, Sunrun has to honor cancellation requests from Connecticut customers who never received a physical copy of their contract. Claims go to CTSupport@sunrun.com.

Does the Sunrun settlement apply outside Connecticut?

It comes from a Connecticut case and covers Connecticut customers. Homeowners in other states can contact their own state attorney general or consumer protection office about solar sales practices.

What happens to a solar lease when I sell my house?

Usually the buyer takes over the lease after the solar company approves them, or the seller pays off or buys out the system before closing. The contract's transfer and buyout sections spell out the steps and costs.

How do I find the escalator in my solar lease?

Look in the payment section of the signed contract for a yearly percentage increase. Some leases have none. Compare it with your last two years of statements to see whether the payment has gone up.

Where do I get a copy of my solar contract?

Ask the solar company that bills you, in writing, and keep the request and the date you sent it.

Sources

• Connecticut Office of the Attorney General — Settlements with SunRun Solar and others to require consumer relief (Oct. 23, 2026)
• Connecticut Office of the Attorney General — Attorney General Tong sues SunRun (July 2024)
• State of Connecticut v. SunRun et al., complaint (July 2024)
• CT Inside Investigator — Tong settles deceptive solar sales suit (Oct. 26, 2026)