SB 657 establishes the Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program to provide financial assistance to minorities residing in historically redlined neighborhoods and underrepresented communities who aim to become real estate appraisers. The Maryland Higher Education Commission will administer the program, awarding grants to support individuals pursuing appraisal certification. The bill directly targets closing appraisal service gaps in underserved areas and aims to diversify the real estate appraisal profession. The program becomes effective July 1, 2026, with specific focus on communities historically excluded from equitable housing services.
SB 765 creates an "Heirs Protection Program" administered by Maryland's State Tax Sale Ombudsman to protect heirs who inherit homes from property tax sales. It allows heirs (including those not yet recorded as title holders) to become the legal owner of an inherited dwelling, preventing tax sales and enabling them to remain in their homes. The bill establishes an Heirs Protection Fund financed by state and county governments to support the program, including outreach, grants, and information dissemination. It also expands eligibility for homeowner and homestead tax credits to include qualifying heirs who haven’t yet updated land records, under specific conditions. These changes aim to prevent displacement of families after a homeowner’s death.
SB 814 voids certain residential service agreements entered before June 1, 2023, if the service provider is deemed "defunct" (not in good standing with Maryland’s Department of Assessments and Taxation) on or after June 1, 2026. It specifically invalidates agreements that attempt to bind future property owners, create liens on homes, or allow unapproved transfers of service rights. Homeowners affected can seek court declarations that such agreements are void, along with damages and legal fees. The bill amends Maryland’s real property code to establish this automatic voiding mechanism, effective June 1, 2026. It directly impacts homeowners with outdated service contracts tied to providers who lost state authorization.
SB 937, the Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act, prohibits landlords from requiring or considering a prospective tenant's criminal history before making a rental offer. Landlords may only review criminal history after extending a conditional offer and must allow tenants to provide evidence about inaccuracies, rehabilitation, or mitigating factors. The bill also bans upfront criminal history checks, restricts discriminatory housing ads, and makes violations enforceable under Maryland's consumer protection laws. It directly affects all residential landlords and tenants with past criminal records in Maryland.
SB 941 requires Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), working with the Attorney General, to create a plan identifying rental properties with chronic health and safety violations (like repeated code failures, unsafe conditions, or negligent landlords). The plan must establish methods for reporting such properties (via tenants, local agencies, or tenant groups) and outline specific interventions, including fines, legal actions, tenant escrow accounts, required repair deadlines, and temporary relocation for unsafe units. It mandates DHCD submit this plan and recommendations to the Governor and legislature by August 31, 2027. The bill directly affects tenants living in unsafe housing and landlords operating noncompliant properties.
HB 1148 creates an Heirs Protection Program to prevent tax sales of inherited homes. It allows heirs (people who inherit a home after a homeowner's death) to become the official property owner, stay in their homes, and access property tax relief without losing the home to tax sales. The program is funded by a new Heirs Protection Fund financed by state and county governments, and requires the State Tax Sale Ombudsman to provide outreach and grants. The bill also expands eligibility for certain property tax credits to include heirs who aren't yet listed as the official property owner, under specific conditions.
SB 729 expands a legal aid program that provides representation to tenants facing eviction to include residents of mobile home parks, ensuring they receive legal help during eviction proceedings. The bill requires mobile home park owners to establish pet policies, ensure water meets safety standards, and follow new rules for fees and utility billing, while banning them from denying services due to unpaid rent or personal characteristics. It also mandates a time period for residents to pay overdue rent before eviction and requires park owners to include subtenants as defendants in eviction cases. These changes strengthen tenant protections and clarify responsibilities for mobile home park owners.
HB 1249 prohibits certified recovery residences in Maryland from refusing services to individuals receiving medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder or requiring them to stop or change their MAT as a condition for housing. The bill amends certification standards for recovery residences (which provide non-clinical housing for people with substance use disorders) to ensure credentialing entities cannot allow such discrimination. It directly affects certified recovery residences and individuals using MAT for opioid addiction, requiring certification rules to explicitly ban these practices. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies only to opioid use disorder treatment under MAT.
HB 753 would require Maryland's State Tax Sale Ombudsman to create a process allowing homeowners to designate family members or representatives to handle tax sale matters on their behalf. It mandates that dwellings be withheld from tax sale if the homeowner has a physician-documented terminal illness or medical hardship. The bill also increases the maximum home value eligible for the Homeowner Protection Program and grants priority enrollment in the program to homeowners with terminal illness or medical hardship. These changes directly affect Maryland homeowners facing tax sale proceedings, particularly those with serious health conditions or limited capacity to navigate the process.
HB 783 requires Washington County and its municipalities to grant a 100% property tax credit against county and municipal taxes for real property owned by Platoon 22, Incorporated, provided the property is used to provide housing for veterans. The bill directly affects Platoon 22, a nonprofit organization, by eliminating property tax liability on qualifying housing properties. Key provisions mandate this tax credit be implemented through local law, applying to all taxable years beginning after June 30, 2026. This is a targeted tax exemption for a specific organization’s veteran housing operations, not a broad policy change.
