An Act Requiring The Establishment Of Fair Rent Commissions.
HB 7036 would require every Connecticut town, city, or borough to establish a fair rent commission, either on its own or through a joint or regional arrangement with other municipalities. The bill removes the current population-based threshold that limits the mandatory creation of these commissions to municipalities with 25,000 or more residents, and instead applies the requirement statewide. Municipalities would have until January 1, 2028 to adopt the required ordinance and notify the Commissioner of Housing.
The bill also clarifies the scope of fair rent commission authority. These commissions would continue to study and investigate rental charges, hold hearings, receive complaints, and use enforcement tools such as subpoenas and oaths to address excessive rental charges. The bill defines rental charge broadly to include fees in addition to rent, and it expressly includes mobile manufactured homes and mobile manufactured home park lots within commission jurisdiction, while excluding seasonal rentals.
This bill would amend Connecticut General Statutes section 7-148b to expand mandatory fair rent commission coverage from larger municipalities to all municipalities, unless they participate in a joint or regional commission. It would change local government obligations by requiring ordinances establishing these commissions by January 1, 2028, and would preserve municipal flexibility to share a commission with neighboring towns or through a regional council of governments. The bill would also affect landlords and tenants by extending local oversight of rent-related charges, including additional fees, and by reinforcing commission authority over housing accommodations and manufactured home communities.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the overall sentiment appears to be supportive of stronger local rent oversight and tenant protections. The bill’s purpose statement frames the measure as a statewide requirement to ensure fair rent commissions exist in every municipality, suggesting a policy preference for broader access to complaint resolution and rent-charge review. No contrary positions are documented in the provided materials, so no formal opposition can be identified from the available record.
The main policy issue is the expansion of mandatory local regulation to all municipalities, which could raise concerns about administrative burden, cost, and local control for smaller towns that previously were not required to create a commission. Another possible point of contention is the bill’s broad definition of rental charge, which includes fees beyond base rent and could affect landlord pricing practices. Supporters are likely to emphasize tenant protections and uniform access to fair rent review, while critics may focus on implementation costs and the reach of municipal authority over private housing markets.