Cal. Civ. Code § 8-68f-20
Procedures to Request a Hearing
Operative Text
(a) Request for hearing. The complainant shall submit a written request for a hearing to the landlord at the office at the premises within thirty (30) days after receipt of the written summary of discussion prepared pursuant to section 8‐68f‐18 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. The written request shall specify: (1) The reasons for the grievance; and (2) The action or relief sought. (b) Selection of hearing officer or hearing panel. A hearing shall be conducted by an impartial person or persons, other than a person who made or approved the landlord’s action under review or a subordinate of such person. An officer or member of the landlord’s board of commissioners may be an impartial person. The selection of the hearing officer or the hearing panel shall comply with the following: (1) The method or methods for appointment of the hearing officer or the hearing panel shall be stated in the grievance procedures. (2) The landlord may use either of the following methods to appoint the hearing officer or the hearing panel: (A) A method approved by a duly elected and constituted tenant organization or, in the absence of such organization, the majority of tenants in any building, group of buildings or projects, or group of projects to which the method is applicable, voting in an election or meeting of the tenants held for that purpose; or (B) Appointment of a person or persons, who may be an officer or member of the landlord’s Board of Commissioners, selected in the manner required under the landlord’s grievance procedures. In the event that the tenant objects to the original appointment of the person or persons selected, the appointment of an alternate hearing officer may be proposed by the landlord. (3) In the event the method selected for the appointment of a hearing officer or hearing panel in accordance with either subparagraph (A) or (B) of subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of this section fails to select a hearing panel or hearing officer, as appropriate, within thirty (30) calendar days from the complainant’s written request for a hearing, the landlord’s disposition of the grievance under section 8‐68f‐18 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies shall become final, provided the failure to appoint a hearing panel or hearing officer, as appropriate, shall not constitute a waiver by the complainant of his or her right thereafter to contest the landlord’s disposition of the grievance in an appropriate judicial proceeding. (c) Failure to request a hearing. If the complainant does not request a hearing in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, the landlord’s disposition of the grievance under section 8‐68f‐18 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies shall become final, provided the failure to request a hearing shall not constitute a waiver by the complainant of his or her right thereafter to contest the landlord’s disposition of the grievance in an appropriate judicial proceeding. (d) Hearing prerequisite. All grievances shall be personally presented either orally or in writing pursuant to the informal settlement procedure prescribed in section 8‐68f‐18 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies as a condition precedent to a hearing under this section, provided if the complainant shows good cause for failure to proceed in accordance with section 8‐68f‐18 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies to the hearing officer or the hearing panel, the provisions of this subsection may be waived by the hearing officer or the hearing panel. (e) Scheduling of hearings. Upon the complainant’s compliance with subsections (a) and (d) of this section, a hearing shall be promptly scheduled by the hearing officer or the hearing panel for a date within ninety (90) days of the landlord’s receipt of the tenant’s written request pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, for a time and place reasonably convenient to both the complainant and the landlord. A written notice specifying the time, the place and the procedures governing the hearing shall be delivered to the complainant and the appropriate landlord representative. (f) Expedited grievance procedure. The landlord may establish an expedited grievance procedure for any grievance concerning a termination of tenancy or an eviction based on one or more of the subdivisions of subsection (d) of section 8-68f-12 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. (g) Section 8-68f-18 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies shall not apply in the case of a grievance under the expedited grievance procedure permitted by subsection (f) of this section. (h) The landlord may adopt special procedures concerning a hearing under the expedited grievance procedure, including provisions for expedited notice or scheduling, or provisions for an expedited decision on the grievance, provided such procedures comply with the requirements of this section.
Connecticut regulation Conn. Agencies Regs. § 8-68f-20 establishes the procedural steps for requesting and conducting a formal grievance hearing in publicly assisted housing. A complainant must submit a written hearing request to the landlord within 30 days of receiving the informal discussion summary, specifying the reasons for the grievance and the relief sought. The hearing must be conducted by an impartial officer or panel not involved in the original decision, scheduled within 90 days of the landlord's receipt of the request, and held at a time and place reasonably convenient to both parties. Missing the 30-day request deadline or failing to first pursue informal settlement generally makes the landlord's prior disposition final, though neither failure automatically waives the complainant's right to later pursue the matter in court.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Conn. Agencies Regs. § 8-68f-20, compliant housing operators maintain clearly documented grievance procedures that specify how hearing officers or panels are appointed, ensuring those individuals are impartial and were not involved in the original decision under review. Operators generally track the 30-day window after issuing the informal discussion summary and, once a valid hearing request is received, schedule the hearing within the 90-day deadline at a mutually convenient time and place with proper written notice. For grievances involving tenancy termination or eviction under the specified grounds, landlords may establish an expedited grievance procedure with modified notice and scheduling provisions, provided those procedures still satisfy the requirements of this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Agencies Regs. § 8-68f-20 gives tenants in covered housing the right to request a formal hearing before an impartial officer or panel after completing the informal settlement step under § 8-68f-18. To preserve this right, a written request must be submitted to the landlord's on-site office within 30 days of receiving the informal discussion summary, clearly stating the grievance reasons and the relief sought. Tenants who miss the deadline or whose hearing officer is not appointed within 30 days should be aware that the landlord's disposition may become final administratively, but the regulation expressly preserves the right to challenge that disposition in a judicial proceeding afterward — tenant-rights organizations or legal aid offices can help explain what options may be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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