Maryland Tenant Advocacy and Maryland Renters Rights
Our 2024 Impact by 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 2024.
Maryland Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Tenants Using Housing Vouchers
Earlier this year, the Maryland Attorney General asked the Maryland Supreme Court to protect housing voucher recipients from income-based discrimination, via an amicus brief filed in March. In July of this year, the Maryland Supreme Court issued a judgement in favor of the tenant. The case began when a tenant named Katrina Hare tried to obtain housing in a Baltimore County apartment complex owned by David S. Brown Enterprises. The company implemented an income requirement, and did not use the accepted income calculations that take into account the client's voucher amount. As a result, Ms. Hare was denied housing because ...
Maryland Commission on Civil Rights Publishes Source of Income Guidance
This information is important for both landlords and tenants. The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights has published Source of Income Guidance, which outlines the rules around what landlords can and cannot do, with regard to tenants who use Housing Choice Vouchers and other sources of non-traditional income. From MCCR: The purpose of this guidance1 is to provide information on how the State of Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (“Commission”) analyzes source of income discrimination in housing as a result of the enactment of the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (“HOME”) Act of 2020. The guidance aims to inform tenants, housing providers, ...
Maryland Management Emergency Rental Assistance Conciliation Agreement
According to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Maryland Management, Inc. refused to participate in or cooperate with emergency rental assistance programs. If you were denied housing or evicted because of this practice, you may be eligible to receive a money settlement from a Restitution Fund negotiated by the Maryland Attorney General to resolve allegations of Source of Income Discrimination by Maryland Management Company, Inc. This agreement can be downloaded here. The amount of compensation you are eligible for will depend on your experience with Maryland Management Company, Inc., and other applications to the Restitution Fund. To receive any ...
Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development 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 your copy. 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 ...
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 2023 Impact by 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.