Housing

passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 17, 2026

HB 543: Real Property - Landlord and Tenant - Family Child Care Homes

HB 543 allows landlords to charge up to two months' rent as a security deposit if a tenant operates a family child care home (defined as caring for up to eight children in a residence). It prohibits landlords from unreasonably restricting or banning such homes on single-family rental properties and shields landlords from civil liability related to the child care operation. Tenants must provide written notice 60 days before starting, share their child care registration, and supply insurance naming the landlord and property owners as additional insureds. The bill also requires tenants to notify landlords immediately if they stop operating the home and permits landlords to mandate $1 million liability insurance coverage.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingProhibits landlords from banning family child care homes, protecting tenant rights in housing use and enabling flexible residential property utilization.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Feb 20, 2026

HB 703: Dorchester County - County Property Leases - Notice Exemptions

This bill exempts Dorchester County from standard public notice requirements when leasing county property under specific conditions. It allows the county to enter leases with terms of five years or less and annual rents of $750 or less without publishing weekly notices in local newspapers for three weeks. The exemption directly affects Dorchester County's process for managing small-scale, low-cost property leases. This change streamlines administrative procedures for these limited agreements while maintaining notice requirements for longer or higher-cost leases.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingExemption streamlines low-cost lease process for county property, enabling more affordable housing options through simplified administrative procedures.75% confidence

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passed both · Maryland · Senate Apr 13, 2026

SB 274: Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination - Regulations and Discriminatory Effect

SB 274 updates Maryland's fair housing laws to address discriminatory practices regardless of intent. It defines "discriminatory effect" as actions creating segregated housing patterns based on protected characteristics like race, disability, or sexual orientation, even without malicious intent. The bill requires housing authorities and political subdivisions to actively "affirmatively further fair housing" and prohibits practices with disparate impacts on protected groups. These changes apply to all housing providers, landlords, and government entities involved in housing decisions. The law removes intent as a defense for discriminatory housing practices, aligning enforcement with federal standards.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingPrevents housing discrimination by defining discriminatory effect and requiring affirmative fair housing action, strengthening tenant protections.95% confidence

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 25, 2026

HB 402: Common Ownership Communities - Oversight, Governing Document Database, and Local Commissions

HB 402 establishes a Common Ownership Community Ombudsman Unit within Maryland's Attorney General's Office to handle complaints from residents of homeowners associations (HOAs), condominiums, and cooperative housing communities about final adverse decisions made by their governing bodies. The unit will monitor relevant laws, provide members with information and referrals to dispute resolution services, and either make determinations about whether decisions violate laws or refer complaints to local county commissions. The bill also requires all common ownership communities to file governing documents with the Department of Housing and Community Development and mandates the department to create a public database of these documents. Annual reports on the unit's activities, including complaint volumes and actions taken, must be submitted to the department and the General Assembly.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingEstablishes ombudsman unit to resolve disputes in HOAs/condos, strengthening tenant protections against unfair governance decisions85% confidence

Sub-Topics Community Development Property Development

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passed · Maryland · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 455: Economic Development - Transformational Project Financing Program - Establishment

SB 455 establishes the Transformational Project Financing Program to help local governments fund large-scale development projects in designated areas. It allows counties or cities to apply to the Maryland Economic Development Corporation for "State-supported development district" status, requiring them to redirect property tax increases (tax increment) from these areas into a special fund instead of the general budget. This fund finances projects in priority areas like sustainable communities, transit-oriented developments, and designated enterprise zones. The bill creates new rules for calculating state revenue contributions and managing bond proceeds specifically for these designated districts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects property tax increments to a special fund for development projects, promoting targeted fiscal management and strategic spending on priority areas.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill creates tax increment fund for development projects in sustainable communities, directly supporting housing development priorities without restricting tenant rights or affordability.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Revenue Tax Incentives Housing Finance Property Development Property Taxes Tags Economic Development

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in committee · Maryland · Senate Feb 4, 2026

SB 462: Landlord and Tenant - Residential Leases and Holdover Tenancies - Local Good Cause Termination (Good Cause Eviction)

SB 462 allows Maryland counties to adopt local "good cause eviction" laws that prevent landlords from terminating residential leases or evicting tenants without a valid reason (like nonpayment or lease violations). Landlords in counties with such laws must include specific notices in leases about whether good cause rules apply and disclose ownership details if claiming an exception. The state's Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs must create standardized forms for these disclosures and tenant notifications. This bill modifies Maryland's real property laws to implement this framework, but it only applies in counties that choose to adopt the local ordinances.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingPrevents arbitrary evictions by requiring good cause for termination, strengthening tenant protections and housing stability per bill's core purpose.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Tenant Rights

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passed · Maryland · House of Delegates Mar 20, 2026

HB 80: Landlord and Tenant - Residential Leases - Fee Disclosures

HB 80 requires landlords managing four or more rental units to provide prospective tenants with a clear, written list of all fees (including mandatory and optional fees like parking or pet charges) before signing a lease. It prohibits landlords from charging any mandatory fee that wasn’t disclosed in advance and makes lease terms violating this rule unenforceable. Tenants can sue landlords for violations occurring after February 2027, potentially recovering triple damages plus attorney fees. The law excludes utility charges, security deposits, and fees tied to tenant actions (like replacement keys), and takes effect October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingMandates fee transparency for landlords and provides tenant remedies for violations, directly strengthening tenant protections in housing.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Renters Tenant Rights

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signed · Maryland · House of Delegates Apr 14, 2026

HB 343: Housing Development Projects - Housing Counseling Services

HB 343 requires housing development projects receiving state funding to offer HUD-certified housing counseling services to prospective residents. It mandates that these services must be provided by counselors employed by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The bill also requires the Governor to appropriate $200,000 annually starting in fiscal year 2028 for community development organizations to partner with approved housing counseling agencies. This directly affects developers receiving state housing funds and prospective residents of subsidized housing projects.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates $200,000 annual appropriation for housing counseling services, directly funding a public program under budget authority.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingMandates HUD-certified counseling for funded housing projects and allocates $200K annually for counseling services, directly advancing tenant access to housing resources.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Homeownership Housing Finance

in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

HB 98: Inheritance Tax - Beneficiaries of Limited Means - Installment Payments

HB 98 would allow Maryland residents with low incomes to pay inheritance tax in installments instead of a single lump sum. It specifically applies to people who inherit a home they live in or a farm they continue to operate (as defined by the bill), but only if paying the full tax would force them to sell that property. The county official who handles wills must approve this payment plan if requested by the beneficiary. The law would take effect for deaths occurring on or after July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides inheritance tax relief for low-income beneficiaries by allowing installment payments, preventing forced property sales due to tax burden.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingPrevents forced sale of inherited homes due to tax burden, protecting low-income homeownership stability90% confidence

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in committee · Maryland · House of Delegates Jan 19, 2026

HB 62: Anne Arundel County - Summons for Actions to Repossess for Failure to Pay Rent - Alterations

HB 62 modifies eviction notice procedures for unpaid rent cases in Anne Arundel County. It requires the District Court to direct eviction notices to constables or sheriff’s designees (who now have the same authority as sheriffs) and mandates that notices be posted conspicuously at the property address. This affects landlords, tenants, and law enforcement handling eviction cases in Anne Arundel County. The bill standardizes service methods to ensure tenants are properly notified of court hearings for rent nonpayment.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingModifies eviction notice procedures to ensure proper tenant notification, strengthening tenant protections under housing policy through standardized service methods.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Renters Tenant Rights

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