Maryland rental housing laws
What Maryland has enacted on rental housing, what each law requires, and what the bills still moving would do. Maryland is one of 42 states that enacted a rental housing law in the 2025 and 2026 sessions.
9 new Maryland laws take effect in 2027
- Bills in scope
- 59bills in scope
- Past committee
- 32past committee
- Most recent action
- 26 May 2026most recent action
Rental housing laws enacted in Maryland
21 rental housing laws enacted in the Maryland Legislature in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, newest first. Each links to the legislature's own page.
What it requires: The Department of Housing and Community Development, in collaboration with the Attorney General, must develop a plan to identify severe health and safety risk properties with 50 or more units, expand the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs, and provide interventions targeting predatory and noncompliant landlords. The Department must submit the plan by August 31, 2027, and publish identified properties on its website.
- HB 315Landlord and Tenant - Discrimination in Housing for Income-Based Housing Subsidies and Positive Rental History ReportingTook effect 1 October 2026
What it requires: A landlord of residential rental property may not refuse to rent to a prospective tenant who pays rent with an income-based housing subsidy based on the tenant's income, credit score, or adverse credit history arising before the subsidy was received. A landlord owning six or more residential rental units must offer tenants the option to have positive rental payment history reported to a consumer reporting agency, with offers made at lease signing and annually thereafter.
Fees, screening and rent pricing
What it requires: A landlord of apartment buildings with 10 or more individual dwelling units must provide air-conditioning in each residential unit beginning June 1, 2026 for newly constructed units and October 1, 2026 for units undergoing renovation with electrical or heating system replacement or substantial upgrade. From June 1 to September 30 annually, the landlord must maintain temperature at not greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit at 3 feet above floor level in each habitable space, or ensure tenant-controlled systems are in good working order and capable of maintaining that temperature.
Habitability and repairs
- SB 335Landlord and Tenant - Discrimination in Housing for Income-Based Housing Subsidies and Positive Rental History ReportingTook effect 1 October 2026
What it requires: A landlord or residential rental property that uses financial information in rental applications may not refuse to rent to a prospective tenant who pays rent with an income-based housing subsidy based on the tenant's income, credit score, or adverse credit history arising before the subsidy was received, except where federal law authorizes refusal or funding conditions require financial information collection.
Fees, screening and rent pricing
What it requires: Park owners must establish a pet policy by December 1, 2026, stating breed and weight restrictions, pet limits, vaccination requirements, and liability insurance requirements. Park owners must provide residents written notice at least 90 days before rent increases and must offer qualified residents rental agreement renewals for at least 1 year. Park owners must ensure residents have access to compliant water supplies and must be available by telephone and email during business hours.
Eviction procedure
- SB 937Landlord and Tenant - Residential Leases - Prospective Tenant Criminal History Records Check (Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act)Took effect 1 October 2026
What it requires: Landlords managing or owning five or more residential rental units must conduct criminal history records checks for every prospective tenant and may only consider specified convictions before extending a conditional offer. After extending a conditional offer, landlords may consider additional convictions and must provide written notice with reasons if withdrawing the offer, allowing prospective tenants to request reassessment with evidence of rehabilitation or mitigating factors.
Fees, screening and rent pricing
What it requires: The Department of Housing and Community Development, in collaboration with the Attorney General, must develop a plan to identify severe health and safety risk properties with 50 or more units, expand the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs to address them, and provide interventions against predatory landlords. The Department must submit the plan by August 31, 2027, and publish the list publicly on its website.
What it requires: Owners, operators, or managers of apartment houses or mobile home parks installing individual unit water submeters must allocate charges proportionally to actual usage, may not impose costs for maintenance leaks or common areas, may charge up to $1 per unit monthly for administration, must include leak detection monitors, and must maintain adequate records. Landlords requiring tenant payments to third parties must use written leases, provide bills 20 days before due date, and notify prospective tenants of prior water costs.
Habitability and repairs
- SB 872Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing - Rental Dwelling Unit - DefinitionTook effect 1 October 2026
What it does: Alters the definition of 'rental dwelling unit' for lead risk reduction purposes by removing the requirement that it be 'independent' and adding that units need only have living facilities with or access to permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation.
Habitability and repairs
- HB 1221Public Safety - Short-Term Rental Units - Safety (Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short-Term Rental Safety Act)Took effect 1 October 2026
What it requires: Short-term rental hosts must post evacuation diagrams and emergency telephone numbers, provide working fire extinguishers, and install working smoke alarms that are interconnected, clearly audible in sleeping areas, and replaced if nonfunctional, over 10 years old, or lacking a production date. Booking services must notify hosts of these requirements and require compliance documentation. Counties and Baltimore City must require annual inspections by July 1, 2028.
Short-term rentals
- SB 624Public Safety - Short-Term Rental Units - Safety (Jillian and Lindsay Wiener Short-Term Rental Safety Act)Took effect 1 October 2026
What it requires: Short-term rental hosts must post evacuation diagrams and emergency telephone numbers, provide working fire extinguishers, and install working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in short-term rental units offered for less than 30 consecutive days. Booking services must notify hosts of these requirements and require compliance documentation. Counties and Baltimore City must require annual inspections of short-term rental units by July 1, 2028.
Short-term rentals
- SB 32Real Property - Holding Over - Expedited Hearing and Service of Summons for Active Duty Service MembersTook effect 1 October 2025
What it requires: The District Court must order a hearing within 45 days after a landlord makes a complaint for holding over if the landlord or landlord's spouse is on active duty with the United States military, has relocated to the state due to military duty, intends to occupy the property after judgment, and submits supporting documentation. If a constable or sheriff fails to serve the summons within 10 days, a private process server may serve it.
Eviction procedure
- HB 1076Residential Real Property - Landlord and Tenant - Notice of Landlord EntryTook effect 1 October 2025
What it requires: A landlord must provide a tenant with written notice at least 24 hours in advance before entering a leased premises, except in emergencies. The notice must include the date, approximate time, and specific purpose of entry. Entry is permitted only between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. Monday through Saturday, or another agreed time.
Habitability and repairs
- HB 1152Real Property - Residential Rental Property - Pet Policy Disclosure (Pet Policy Transparency Act)Took effect 1 October 2025
What it requires: A landlord who owns or operates five or more individual dwelling units in the state must provide a link to the property's pet policy on the property's website, in digital advertisements, and in residential rental search engine information. The landlord must also provide a written copy or summary of the pet policy in any rental application form. The pet policy must state breed and weight restrictions, required fees, pet limits, vaccination requirements, liability insurance requirements, and additional pet owner requirements.
Fees, screening and rent pricing
What it requires: Landlords may not include in residential leases a provision for a late payment penalty exceeding 5% of the amount of unpaid rent due for the rental period for which payment was delinquent, or in weekly rental installments, more than $3 per week or $12 per month total.
Fees, screening and rent pricing
- HB 767Real Property - Landlord and Tenant - Procedures for Failure to Pay Rent, Breach of Lease, and Tenant Holding OverTook effect 1 October 2025
What it requires: Landlords must provide tenants written notice at least 14 days before scheduled repossession by first-class mail, door posting with photograph, and electronic notice if contact information is available. Sheriffs must not execute warrants without proper notice documentation. Landlords must not remove personal property during warrant execution and must allow tenants 10 days to reclaim belongings.
Eviction procedure
- HB 808Columbia Association - Lease Requirements and Governing Documents Ho. Co. 14-25Took effect 1 October 2025
What it requires: A landlord of residential or commercial real property in Howard County subject to Columbia Association covenants must use a written lease that includes the annual charge amount and how it is calculated if the tenant pays any part of it. The landlord must also include a description of tenant rights and privileges under the covenants and governing documents, and must provide the tenant a copy of those documents when the lease is signed.
What it does: Makes permanent the Comptroller's distribution of $14,000,000 annually from abandoned property funds to the Access to Counsel in Evictions Special Fund and the Governor's $14,000,000 annual appropriation from that Fund to the Maryland Legal Services Corporation. Terminates the Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force effective January 31, 2026.
Eviction procedure
What it requires: Before a voluntary transfer of title to a residential rental property, the owner must provide written notice to any tenant and allow 30 days for the tenant to exercise a right of first refusal to purchase at the same price as a third-party offer, if the offer is at least 10% lower than previous offers or unsolicited.
- SB 856Mold - Landlord Requirements and Regulations (Maryland Tenant Mold Protection Act)Took effect 1 July 2025
What it requires: Landlords must provide tenants with a mold information pamphlet at lease signing and every 2 years on request. Landlords must perform mold assessment and remediation within 15 days of written notice of mold detection from a local agency or tenant. Landlords must maintain proper ventilation, low humidity, and compliance with all applicable housing codes.
Habitability and repairs
- SB 896Real Property - Residential Rental Property - Pet Policy Disclosure (Pet Policy Transparency Act)Took effect 1 October 2025
What it requires: The landlord of any residential rental property must provide a link to the property's pet policy on the property's website if applicable, in any digital advertisement for the property, and in any information provided for a residential rental search engine. The landlord must also provide a written copy or summary of the pet policy in any rental application form. The pet policy must state breed and weight restrictions, required fees, pet limits, vaccination requirements, liability insurance requirements, and any additional landlord-imposed requirements.
Fees, screening and rent pricing
Rental housing in Maryland, by topic
Fees, screening and rent pricing
16 bills, 6 enacted. Enacted in 15 states.
Eviction procedure
13 bills, 4 enacted. Enacted in 28 states.
Habitability and repairs
12 bills, 5 enacted. Enacted in 17 states.
Short-term rentals
5 bills, 2 enacted. Enacted in 7 states.
Rent caps and stabilization
4 bills. Enacted in 11 states.
Rental housing bills in Maryland
The bills not yet law, furthest along first, with what each would do.
21Enacted
11Past committee
27Introduced or inactive
59 bills in scope
Past committee
11
What it would do: Prohibits counties and municipalities from banning short-term rentals solely because the operator is a lessee or sublessee, but allows them to limit such operators to one short-term rental per jurisdiction. Property owners retain the right to prohibit or limit short-term rental use by lessees or sublessees.
What it would do: Requires landlords to ensure on-site wastewater systems are inspected and pumped by licensed professionals by July 1, 2028 and before each new tenant. Requires property sale contracts to include provisions for purchaser-ensured inspection and pumping, with exceptions for family transfers and refinances.
What it would do: Authorizes counties to adopt local ordinances prohibiting landlords owning six or more residential units from failing to renew leases or terminating holdover tenancies without good cause, with specified grounds for good cause and disclosure requirements.
What it would do: Prohibits landlords from collecting application or screening fees unless the rental unit is available or will be within 30 days, requires written disclosures and adverse action notices, and restricts consideration of certain court proceedings and shielded records in tenant screening.
What it would do: Requires landlords offering four or more dwelling units to provide prospective tenants with a written itemized list of all fees, identifying each as mandatory or optional, and prohibits imposing undisclosed mandatory fees. Allows tenants to sue for violations occurring on or after February 1, 2027, with damages up to three times actual damages plus attorney's fees.
What it would do: Allows landlords to impose up to 2 months' rent security deposit for tenants operating family child care homes. Prohibits landlords of single-family dwellings from unreasonably restricting such operations and requires tenants to provide 60 days' notice, registration, and liability insurance naming the landlord as additional insured.
What it would do: Requires landlords to ensure on-site wastewater systems are inspected and pumped by licensed individuals by January 1, 2026 and before each new tenant occupies the property. Requires real property sale contracts for properties with on-site wastewater systems to include provisions requiring the purchaser to ensure inspection and pumping by licensed individuals beginning January 1, 2026.
What it would do: Requires landlords to provide tenants at least 6 days' written notice before executing eviction warrants and establishes procedures for tenant recovery of personal property within 10 days after eviction, with landlords prohibited from charging storage fees during this period.
What it would do: Allows landlords to impose up to 2 months' rent security deposit if a tenant operates a registered family child care home. Prohibits landlords of most residential properties from refusing to lease or imposing unreasonable conditions on family child care home operation, and requires tenants to provide 30 days' notice and insurance certificates.
What it would do: Requires landlords offering four or more dwelling units to disclose all mandatory fees in rental advertisements and provide prospective tenants with itemized fee lists before lease signing. Prohibits imposing undisclosed mandatory fees and authorizes the Department of Housing and Community Development to impose penalties and tenants to sue for violations.
What it would do: Requires landlords to provide air-conditioning in residential rental units in apartment buildings with four or more units, beginning June 1, 2025 for new units and October 1, 2025 for units undergoing HVAC alterations, maintaining temperatures at specified ASHRAE standards from June 1 to September 30 annually.
Introduced or inactive
14 of 27 shown
What it would do: Requires property managers of residential properties with at least four rental units to be licensed real estate brokers, and mandates they maintain habitability standards and complete property management continuing education. Allows the Commission to impose penalties up to $5,000 per violation.
What it would do: Restricts landlords from inquiring about criminal history before extending a conditional offer, limits which convictions can be considered after a conditional offer, requires individualized assessment of mitigating factors, and makes violations enforceable as unfair trade practices with civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation.
What it would do: Prohibits mobile home park owners from increasing annual rent for existing residents by more than the lesser of the most recent annual Consumer Price Index or 4%, unless the Department of Housing and Community Development approves a higher increase for extraordinary expenses. Prohibits retaliatory rent increases and authorizes the Department and Attorney General to enforce violations.
What it would do: Prohibits landlords of investor-owned single-family rental properties from charging more than 120% of fair market rent or 120% of last sale price divided by 12, plus documented utilities and $100 monthly fees, and requires disclosure of fair market rent, sale price, and maximum allowable rent to tenants.
What it would do: Requires Charles County to establish an annual rent increase limit for rental units occupied by seniors that does not exceed the Consumer Price Index for the Washington Metropolitan Area, effective October 1, 2026.
What it would do: Alters the definition of 'rental dwelling unit' under Maryland's lead risk reduction law to include units with access to permanent living facilities, rather than requiring independent facilities, and clarifies what areas are excluded from this definition.
What it would do: Prohibits merchants from using personalized algorithmic pricing without disclosing that the price was set using personal data. Prohibits operating software or algorithmic devices that coordinate rental pricing among multiple property owners and prohibits property owners from setting rents based on such coordinated recommendations.
What it would do: Expands the Access to Counsel in Evictions Program to include mobile home park residents and establishes comprehensive protections for mobile home park residents regarding rental agreements, fees, utilities, eviction procedures, and prohibits discriminatory practices by park owners.
What it would do: Requires Charles County to establish an annual rent increase limit for rental units occupied by seniors (individuals at least 62 years old) based on the Consumer Price Index for the Washington Metropolitan Area.
What it would do: Allows a landlord to enter a leased premises without written notice in emergencies or to complete repairs requested in writing by the tenant within 7 days of the request or while repairs are in progress with reasonable effort.
What it would do: Authorizes counties to adopt local laws prohibiting landlords owning six or more residential rental units statewide from terminating leases or holdover tenancies without good cause, with specified exemptions and required disclosure forms.
What it would do: Prohibits landlords from using algorithmic devices trained on nonpublic competitor data to set rent amounts, lease renewal terms, occupancy levels, or other lease terms for residential properties. Violations are unfair or deceptive trade practices under Maryland Consumer Protection Act.
What it would do: In Anne Arundel County, requires the District Court to issue summons for rent repossession actions to constables or sheriff's designees, with trial set 30 days after filing and notice posted at least 7 days before trial. Prohibits court from directing service if over 100 matters are scheduled that day.
What it would do: In Anne Arundel County, requires the District Court to mail summons by first-class mail and requires service by a private process server retained by the landlord, prohibiting the court from directing summons to a constable or sheriff.
Showing the 25 furthest along of 38. Subscribers see all of them, filtered and searchable. Bill titles link to the Maryland Legislature's own page.
What counts as rental housing legislation
In scope: Rent caps and stabilization; eviction procedure; fees, screening and rent pricing; security deposits; habitability and repairs; and short-term rentals.
Questions
Does Maryland have a rental housing law?
Yes. Maryland enacted 21 rental housing laws in the 2025 and 2026 sessions, among them HB 1218, HB 315 and SB 12. Each is listed on this page with what it requires.
When do Maryland's rental housing laws take effect?
HB 1218 on 1 July 2026, HB 315 on 1 October 2026, SB 12 on 1 June 2026, SB 335 on 1 October 2026 and SB 729 on 1 October 2026. The others have no single date in their text.
Which rental housing bills are moving in Maryland?
11 bills not yet law have passed a committee or a chamber, the furthest along HB 993 (passed chamber), HB 146 (passed chamber) and HB 774 (passed chamber).
What does Maryland legislate on most in rental housing?
Fees, screening and rent pricing (16 bills), Eviction procedure (13 bills) and Habitability and repairs (12 bills).
Are these summaries reviewed by a lawyer?
No. Which bills count as Rental housing bills, and the line on what each law requires or each bill would do, are drafted by software from the bill's own text and not reviewed by an attorney. Every bill links to the legislature's own record: read the text before relying on it. The list covers bills from the 2025 and 2026 sessions.
Other practice areas in Maryland
- AI in Maryland58
- Alcohol in Maryland142
- Cannabis in Maryland55
- Children's Online Safety in Maryland11
- Cybersecurity in Maryland28
- Data center and energy in Maryland21
- Data Privacy in Maryland40
- Employment in Maryland155
- Healthcare in Maryland335
- Insurance in Maryland208
- Intellectual Property in Maryland12
- Packaging and PFAS in Maryland21
- Payments and fintech in Maryland16
- Tobacco and nicotine in Maryland14
- Transportation in Maryland17
- All jurisdictions
Rental housing legislation in other jurisdictions
51 more currently hold bills in this tracker
- New Jersey209
- New York197
- Connecticut99
- Massachusetts86
- Virginia72
- Texas64
- Arizona59
- Montana59
- Rhode Island54
- Illinois52
- California44
- Hawaii39
- Michigan38
- Florida36
- Oregon32
- Pennsylvania31
- Congress30
- Georgia28
- Kentucky28
- Indiana27
- Washington26
- Wisconsin26
- Maine25
- Missouri25
- Iowa24
- Minnesota22
- Vermont22
- Colorado21
- South Carolina19
- Kansas17
- Nebraska17
- New Hampshire17
- Oklahoma16
- Delaware15
- New Mexico15
- Tennessee15
- North Carolina14
- West Virginia14
- Nevada12
- Utah12
- Ohio11
- Idaho10
- Mississippi10
- District of Columbia9
- Louisiana9
- North Dakota8
- Arkansas5
- Alaska3
- South Dakota3
- Puerto Rico2
- Wyoming1
Know when Maryland's rental housing law changes
An alert when a bill moves, and one report a month on what changed in every state and Congress.