Fair Rent Commission

Otis Johnson, Jr., Executive Director
165 Church Street 1st Floor
(203) 946-8156


Executive Director Otis Johnson, Jr.

The Fair Rent Commission was established to control and eliminate excessive rental charges in residential housing in the City of New Haven. The Connecticut State Legislature enabled Connecticut Municipalities to create Fair Rent Commissions by adopting Public Act 274 Ss1. The City of New Haven Board of Aldermen amended and adopted Sec. 12¾-1 Fair Rent Practices of the General Ordinances of the City of New Haven on December 13, 1984.

The primary power of the Fair Rent Commission lies in its ability to order a reduction or increase in rent (with or without conditions) to an amount that the Commission considers fair and equitable to both the tenant and landlord.

You should contact the Commission:

• whenever your landlord has demanded an increase in rent that you believe is excessive.
• your landlord wants to charge you for utilities and/or other services when they used to be included in your rent.
• you believe your present rent is unfair because your apartment has serious unsafe and unhealthy conditions that you have asked the landlord to correct which violate the housing code.

The Fair Rent Commission's goal is to promote and improve good tenant and landlord relationships.