Maryland renters
2025 End of Session Report
Yesterday was the last day of the legislative session and although it was a cool, gray, rainy day, there were still moments when the rain stopped, and the sun burst through. This is an apt description of this year's legislative session as well. At a time when economic protections and policies to promote racial equity are being decimated, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is currently on life support, Maryland’s General Assembly passed some great bills, some good bills, and some very bad bills for working families. Below are some of the bills that Economic Action was thrilled to lead ...
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.
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 Maryland 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 ...
Maryland Fair Housing Fact Sheets
Maryland Fair Housing Fact SheetsHere are several one-page Fair Housing fact sheets you can download, relevant to Maryland residents. Fact sheets are in PDF format.The HOME ActDisability RightsFair Housing ProgramFair Housing Protected Classes: Federal, State, and LocalIf you need assistance with a Maryland landlord-tenant matter, please use our Tenant Intake Form.To file a Fair Housing complaint, please go here.
Maryland 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.
2024 Legislative Session: HB832/SB839 and HB328 Bill Signing
On Thursday, May 16th, we celebrated as two of our priority bills from the 2024 Legislative Session were signed into law by Governor Moore. HB832/SB839, sponsored by Delegate Vaughn Stewart and Senator Charles Sydnor, allows nominal damages to be awarded for violations of consumer laws. HB328, sponsored by Delegate Lesley Lopez, prohibits Maryland hospitals from using geographic service area tests and non-monetary asset tests to deny income-eligible patients free or reduced cost care.
News for Prince George’s County Tenants
Prince George's County Rent Stabilization Act Extended to October 17, 2024 On April 17, 2024, CB-008-2024 went into effect, extending the Rent Stabilization Act to October 17, 2024. Pursuant to the Rent Stabilization Act, CB-07-2023 and CB-51-2023, a landlord may not raise the existing rent above three percent (3%) per year. The three percent cap applies to tenants who are currently residing in their units and are renewing their leases during the effective period. The law applies to landlords who use month-to-month rental agreements or agreements/contracts to become month-to-month agreements after a fixed term. The rent increase limitation is applied ...
Updates from Annapolis – 2024 Session Report
For Economic Action Maryland, like many other advocates, this proved to be a challenging session. The budget shortfall and budget negotiations took up a great deal of time and concerns about the budget meant that most legislation that came with a high price tag was destined to fail this year. There were new legislators, legislators who were new to certain committees, and new chairs of committees which meant that our issues were new to many legislators. Despite these challenges, we are very proud of the legislation that we passed both as a lead advocate and in coalition with a number ...