Landlord and Tenant - Residential Leases - Prospective Tenant Criminal History Records Check (Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act)

HB 1077, the Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act, prohibits landlords from requiring or using criminal history checks during initial rental applications. It allows landlords to consider certain criminal convictions only after making a conditional lease offer and mandates they review any explanations provided by renters about their records. The law also bans landlords from rejecting applicants based solely on criminal history (except for specific offenses listed in the bill) and requires them to provide written notice about how criminal history will be evaluated. Violations are treated as consumer protection law breaches, subject to enforcement by the Attorney General, who must annually publish data on housing applications.