Greenwich, Conn., Town Code ch. 2, art. 18 § 2-137

Powers and authority of the Commission

In Force

Verified 11/11/2026 · Next check 12/11/2026

Operative Text

(a) The Commission may receive complaints, conduct hearings, and may make studies and investigations, relative to rental charges on housing accommodations, except those accommodations rented on a seasonal basis, within the Town of Greenwich in order to control and eliminate excessive rental charges on such accommodations and to carry out the provisions of C.G.S. §§ 7-148b through 7-148f inclusive, as provided herein, C.G.S. § 47a-20 and C.G.S. § 47a-23c. The Commission, for such purposes, may compel the attendance of persons at hearings, issue subpoenas and administer oaths, issue orders and continue, review, amend, terminate or suspend any of its orders and decisions. The Commission is empowered to adopt policies and procedures to further its mission and to retain legal counsel or other professionals to advise it, if circumstances warrant.
(b) For purposes of this section, "rental charge" includes any fee or charge in addition to rent that is imposed or sought to be imposed upon a tenant by a landlord and includes any charge that is already in effect.
(c) For the purposes of this section, "seasonal basis" means housing accommodations rented for a period or periods aggregating not more than one hundred twenty (120) days in any one (1) calendar year.

Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim

Plain English

Greenwich Town Code ch. 2, art. 18 § 2-137 establishes the powers of the Greenwich Rental Commission, which is authorized to receive complaints, hold hearings, and conduct studies or investigations into rental charges on non-seasonal housing within the Town of Greenwich. The Commission can compel witness attendance, issue subpoenas, administer oaths, and issue or modify orders in pursuit of controlling excessive rental charges. The term 'rental charge' is defined broadly to include any fee or charge beyond base rent, and 'seasonal' housing—rented for 120 days or fewer in a calendar year—falls outside the Commission's jurisdiction under this provision.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on November 11, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Greenwich Town Code ch. 2, art. 18 § 2-137, property owners and managers operating non-seasonal rentals in Greenwich should be aware that the Rental Commission holds broad investigative and enforcement authority over all fees and charges imposed on tenants, not just base rent. Compliant operators generally ensure that any additional fees or charges are clearly documented and justifiable, since the Commission may review charges already in effect. Landlords who receive a subpoena or notice of hearing from the Commission are generally expected to cooperate with the process, which may include appearing at hearings and providing relevant records.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Greenwich Town Code ch. 2, art. 18 § 2-137 gives tenants in non-seasonal Greenwich housing accommodations a formal avenue to challenge what they believe are excessive rental charges, including fees beyond base rent. Tenants may file a complaint with the Greenwich Rental Commission, which has the authority to investigate, hold hearings, and issue orders addressing improper charges. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Connecticut housing law can help explain how the Commission's complaint and hearing process works under this provision.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.