Maryland tenants rights
Maryland OAG Names Four Additional Defendants to 2025 RealPage and Residential Landlords Lawsuit
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today named four more landlords in Maryland’s suit against RealPage and residential landlords that used its revenue management software to coordinate prices and raise rents on thousands of Marylanders. The four new defendants are Camden Development Inc., Harbor Group Management Company LLC, Equity Residential Management LLC, and Trinity Property Consultants LLC. These landlords used RealPage's rent-setting algorithm to drive up housing costs for thousands of Marylanders,” said Attorney General Brown. “Our Office will not stop until we get complete relief or Marylanders, hold these Defendants accountable, and secure guardrails for this technology to protect renters ...
Changes to Maryland Housing Law
There are some big changes coming to Maryland housing law. Here's what you need to know, as these laws go into effect October 1, 2026. Fair Chance Housing Act Limits the use of background checks when someone applies for rental housing. It would ensure that Maryland residents with arrest and conviction histories have a fair chance to secure housing. There are, of course, restrictions on the type of criminal act committed, and other conditions. Go here to read the bill. Fair Housing and Anti-Discrimination Act Includes language that codifies disparate impact liability in Maryland's Fair Housing law that may affect ...
Tenant Guide: Updated for 2026!
Our popular Tenant Guide has been updated for 2026, and now includes information for victims of domestic violence, the Maryland Consumer Protection Act, and information on Maryland's new mold law. You'll find lots of tips and tricks for finding a rental property, navigating the lease and regulations, how to investigate the landlord, and more. Go here to download any of our landlord-tenant or Fair Housing publications and fact sheets, including our updated Tenant Guide and our Guide to Fair Housing for Maryland Landlords.
Act Now! Protect Debtors, Homeowners, and Tenants This Legislative Session!
Monday, March 23 is crossover day for Maryland’s General Assembly. This means that legislation needs to pass out of one chamber and cross to the opposite chamber by midnight on that date to have a good chance of passing this legislative session. Almost all of the bill hearings are done, so the next few days are crucial. Advocates are racing to ensure priority legislation makes it onto committee voting lists, moves out of committee, and passes on the House or Senate floor. All the while, monied interests are working hard to ensure bills die in committee, are weakened to the ...
Working to Keep People Housed in Maryland
Across Maryland, renters struggle to find safe, clean, affordable housing. Currently, landlords and property managers operate within a powerful, often under-regulated system with weak enforcement, loopholes, and structural power imbalances. Economic Action works to provide direct assistance to renters as well as pass legislation in Maryland to expand protections, assistance, and affordability for tenants statewide. This year, we've combined our Fair Housing and Tenant Advocacy programs into one program -- Housing Services, so we'll be able to better coordinate with our Securing Older Adult Resources (SOAR) program and policy work. We have a new Fair Housing Guide for Maryland Landlords. ...
Guide to Fair Housing for Maryland Landlords
Written by our Fair Housing Manager, LaToya McKay, A Guide to Fair Housing for Maryland landlords is now available on our website, at no charge. The guide will assist landlords with all phases of the tenancy process: Advertising, Application, Choosing a Tenant, and During the Tenancy. There's also a handy income and affordability calculation method to screen tenants with Housing Choice Vouchers or other forms of housing assistance. You'll learn more about Federal fair housing law, Maryland fair housing law, and we've included a handy cheat sheet that shows all of the Federal, state, and local protected classes. You can ...
Take Action to Protect Tenants! Close the HOME Act Loophole!
Housing vouchers and other rental assistance programs are a lifeline for families struggling to pay their rent. In 2020, Maryland passed the Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act, which added Source of Income to the list of protected classes in Maryland. The HOME Act was intended to ensure that landlords do not discriminate against tenants who use these rental assistance programs. Some landlords are exploiting a loophole to the HOME Act and use credit history or income information to refuse to rent to voucher holders. Applying credit and income-based screens to families participating in housing assistance programs is neither relevant nor ...
Take Action to Strengthen Fair Housing in Maryland
Everyone needs a safe, affordable roof over their head. Yet some property owners refuse to provide housing to Marylanders based on their source of income, race, disability, gender identity or other protected characteristics. This is illegal according to Maryland's fair housing laws, but we currently have trouble proving discrimination. SB180 will change that and make it easier to detect and root out housing discrimination.Fair housing programs test housing providers to ensure that they are following the law and root out discrimination. This work in Maryland is more important than ever since at the federal level, staffing and funding of the ...
Information for Property Managers post-Greystar
The Federal Trade Commission has issued guidance for property managers, following the lawsuit against Greystar, and subsequent settlement: To resolve allegations that Greystar’s practices violated the FTC Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and the Colorado Consumer Protection Act, the company will pay $24 million. Greystar is also prohibited from misrepresenting the rental price of its units and must disclose all mandatory fees before accepting payment from prospective tenants. Read the rest of the FTC guidance here. If you have a landlord-tenant issue, please go here. For a Fair Housing issue involving discrimination, please go here.
Maryland Announces Eviction Prevention Funds for Eight Jurisdictions
While we do not provide financial assistance for eviction prevention, we're making sure tenants have up to date information on resources that can help. From the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development: To qualify for assistance from the eviction prevention program, a household must have a student enrolled in a Community School in a participating jurisdiction living in their home. Applicants must demonstrate an obligation to pay rent and experience housing instability, such as homelessness, risk of eviction, utility shut-off, or being behind in paying rent or utilities. Program funds can help eligible families pay for past due rent ...