(a) Except as provided in this section and in § 51-27, quarters and furniture necessary for holding sessions of the Superior Court serving geographical areas may be provided and maintained by the city or town in which the session is held.

(b) Two or more contiguous towns may, by action of their legislative bodies, combine to provide and maintain such quarters and furniture and by agreement of the legislative bodies apportion the expense thereof among the towns.

(c) The Commissioner of Administrative Services may continue to lease quarters serving the geographical areas of the Superior Court from a municipality or other person, subject to the provisions of § 4b-23, at a rental as may be set by agreement of the parties, except that with respect to quarters leased from a municipality or any lessor exempt from local property taxes such rental may not exceed annual operating costs for such quarters including, but not limited to, the cost of insurance, electricity, air conditioning, heat, hot and cold running water, janitorial services and supplies, rubbish removal, snow and ice removal, groundskeeping, window washing, security service, maintenance and repairs, replacement of ballasts, tubes and bulbs, toilet supplies, and any renovations undertaken at the request of the lessee, plus two dollars per square foot for contingency expenses.

(d) The Commissioner of Administrative Services may, subject to § 4b-23, acquire courthouses to serve the geographical areas of the Superior Court, provided a courthouse shall be within the geographical area which it serves.

(e) The amount received from the state as rental under this section shall, if two or more municipalities combined to provide the quarters, be divided among them in proportion to the expense of the quarters paid by each.

(f) Such quarters shall not be leased without the approval of the Chief Court Administrator or his designee.