Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7 § 7-148d
Order for limitation on amount of rent. Suspension of rent payments. Cease and desist orders for retaliatory actions.
Operative Text
(a) If a commission determines, after a hearing, that the rental charge or proposed increase in the rental charge for any housing accommodation is so excessive, based on the standards and criteria set forth in section 7-148c, as to be harsh and unconscionable, it may order that the rent be limited to such an amount as it determines to be fair and equitable. If a commission determines, after a hearing, that the housing accommodation in question fails to comply with any municipal ordinance or state statute or regulation relating to health and safety, it may order the suspension of further payment of rent by the tenant until such time as the landlord makes the necessary changes, repairs or installations so as to bring such housing accommodation into compliance with such ordinance, statute or regulation. The rent during said period shall be paid to the commission to be held in escrow subject to ordinances or provisions adopted by the town, city or borough. (b) If the commission determines, after a hearing, that a landlord has retaliated in any manner against a tenant because the tenant has complained to the commission, the commission may order the landlord to cease and desist from such conduct.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-148d, a local rent commission has the authority to cap a rental charge it finds excessively harsh and unconscionable, to suspend a tenant's rent obligation and redirect payments into escrow when a housing unit fails health or safety standards, and to order a landlord to stop any retaliatory conduct directed at a tenant who filed a complaint. All three remedies become available only after the commission conducts a formal hearing. The escrow arrangement is governed by ordinances or provisions adopted by the relevant municipality.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-148d gives a local rent commission significant post-hearing powers, so operators generally keep rental units in continuous compliance with municipal ordinances and state health and safety regulations to avoid a rent-suspension and escrow order. Compliant operators also refrain from any adverse action toward tenants who have filed commission complaints, since the statute expressly authorizes cease-and-desist orders for retaliation. Maintaining documented records of maintenance work and communications with tenants is a practice commonly associated with demonstrating good-faith compliance before a commission.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-148d provides tenants with meaningful remedies when a commission finds that a rent increase is unconscionably high or that a unit violates health or safety standards, including the possibility that rent payments are redirected to an escrow account rather than the landlord. Tenants who believe a landlord has retaliated against them for filing a commission complaint may raise that issue at a hearing, where the commission can order the landlord to cease the retaliatory conduct. General enforcement paths include filing a complaint with the applicable local rent commission or consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with Connecticut housing law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 24, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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