Tenant Advocacy and Renters Rights
Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights
The State of Maryland has published the first statewide Tenants’ Bill of Rights in the nation, as required by the passage of the Renters Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024. Maryland landlords, please note: Starting on July 1, 2025, the Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights must be included with all rental leases. Please go here and download the Bill of Rights. If you have a landlord-tenant issue and need assistance, please fill out our intake form. You can also download our Maryland Tenant Guide for self-help and information.
Join Us for a Legislative Session Wrap-Up Webinar
Twenty days ago, Maryland’s General Assembly concluded its 2025 legislative session at the stroke of midnight amid a flurry of balloons, confetti, and cheers. Now that the confetti has been swept, the balloons deflated, and the chamber silent, it’s important to reflect on the session overall: Where did economic rights advocates advance progressive policies? Where were advocates and legislators able to codify or expand on consumer protections being rolled back at the federal level? How will new laws address racial equity and disparate impact? Where did we fall short? Why? What bills did Wall Street work to pass that harmed ...
Baltimore Property Company Leaves Tenants in the Lurch
Our Tenant Advocacy Director, Carol Ott, weighs in on the difficulties tenants are having with their property management company in Baltimore. Read the full article in the Banner here. If you're a Maryland renter and need assistance with a landlord-tenant matter, please fill out our intake form.
Major Federal Housing Policy Changes
Below is information from the National Housing Resource Center about a series of significant policy changes recently announced by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). These changes impact mortgage eligibility, tenant protections, housing equity efforts, and fair lending requirements. FHA Changes – Effective May 25, 2025 Residency Requirement Update: Only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents will be eligible for FHA-insured loans. Non-permanent residents will no longer qualify for FHA financing. Borrowers must provide valid documentation, such as a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) Read the mortgagee letter here. (Link opens a PDF.) The ...
Post-Crossover Update: Heading To the Finish Line
Last Monday, March 17 wasn’t just St. Patrick’s Day. It was also ‘crossover day,’ the day by which a bill had to pass out of one chamber of the General Assembly in order to have a good chance of final passage by Sine Die, the last day of the 2025 legislative session on Monday, April 7. It wasn’t the luck of the Irish, it was the hard work of our policy team, our bill sponsors, our partners and supporters that led to 14 bills we’ve led and supported making it across this critical legislative hurdle. A few highlights include: HB268/SB981: ...
Urge Your Maryland Senator to Vote YES on SB609
Background In 2023 53.3% of Maryland tenants spent more than 30% of their income on rent. The real costs of housing, insurance, utilities, and food prices have increased 22% since 2020. In 2024, our Baltimore City clients saw a 13% increase in rents from 2023, more than double the average for clients in other counties/cities outside the Baltimore metro region. Apartment complexes in Maryland have been using private tenant data to fix prices and increase rent by colluding with RealPage, a company that provides revenue management software to apartment complexes. This software collects private data on rental prices and uses ...
Our Impact – County and Legislative District
Our Impact - County By County Click on your county to see how many people we have served in each legislative district in 2023.
Maryland Eviction Shielding Law Goes Into Effect
As of October 1, 2024, a Maryland tenant has the right to file an application with the District Court to shield court records that relate to eviction filings if the tenant paid the amount owed prior to the eviction and stayed in the property, and if it's been 12 months since the eviction order was issued. You can use this form and file with the correct District Court location. Also, the Maryland District Court is required to shield all the Failure to Pay Rent (FTPR) eviction records within 60 days of the final resolution of the case, and the case ...
Maryland County Code Enforcement, Inspection, and Zoning Agencies
Click on a link below to go to that county's code enforcement office, and procedures for filing a housing or other complaint. Allegany County Anne Arundel County Baltimore City Baltimore County Calvert County Caroline County Carroll County Cecil County Charles County Dorchester County Frederick County Garrett County Harford County Howard County Kent County: (410) 778-7437 Montgomery County Prince George's County Queen Anne's County St. Mary's County Somerset County Talbot County Washington County Wicomico County Worcester County If you have questions on a Maryland tenant-landlord matter, please fill out our tenant advocacy intake form here. Â Â Â
Fact Sheets for Tenants
Here are several one-page fact sheets you can download, on topics relevant to Maryland tenants. Fact sheets are in PDF format. Air Conditioning Rent Escrow Ratio Utility Billing (RUBS) Security Deposits Fair Housing Protected Classes Our comprehensive Tenant Guide is updated each year, as laws change. You'll find information on how to choose a suitable property, what's allowed in a lease, and how to find information on your prospective landlord, along with information on what to do if things go wrong during your tenancy. You can download the Tenant Guide here. If you need information related to Fair Housing issues, ...