Maryland tenants rights
New Maryland Tenant Law – Rental Late Fees
Starting October 1, Maryland renters who are being charged late fees can only be charged the 5% late fee on the actual portion of rent that's overdue. Example: If your rent is $1500 per month, but you made a partial payment of $500 before the due date, you can only be charged a late fee on the remaining $1000. For tenants who pay their rent weekly, the late fees are limited to $3 per week, not to exceed $12 per month. Any lease clauses that that include penalties that exceed these limits will not be able to be enforced. Landlords ...
New Maryland Tenant Law – Warrant for Repossession
A new Maryland tenant law goes into effect October 1 that tenants should be aware of. Real Property - Landlord and Tenant - Procedures for Failure to Pay Rent, Breach of Lease, and Tenant Holding Over requires a landlord to provide certain notice to a tenant when a court has issued a warrant of restitution for a failure of a tenant to pay rent, a breach of lease, or a tenant holding over under certain circumstances; and establishes certain procedures and requirements for the execution of a warrant for repossession. You can read the full text of the law here. ...
Great News for Heather Hill Tenants!
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced today that his Consumer Protection Division has entered into a Final Order by Consent with Heather Hill Property Company LLC and Heather Hill Operating Company LLC (collectively Heather Hill) for alleged violations of the Consumer Protection Act and the Consumer Debt Collection Act in their operation of a large apartment complex in Temple Hills, Maryland. The Consumer Protection Division’s Final Order requires Heather Hill to provide restitution in the amount of an estimated $11.2 million. This settlement is the largest amount of restitution obtained by the Consumer Protection Division in a landlord/tenant case. “This ...
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.
Strengthen Fair Housing in Maryland, Urge Your Legislators to Vote YES on HB392/SB107
Background In 2023, there were 198 fair housing complaints in the Baltimore Metro region. At Economic Action, we’ve received many fair housing complaints with a large number of complaints based on access to reasonable accommodations to assist residents with a disability. To determine whether housing providers are discriminating against Marylanders due to race, gender, ethnicity, how someone pays for their rent, or other protected reasons, fair housing organizations conduct tests to see if discrimination exists. The Problem In 39 states including Virginia and the District of Columbia, fair housing testers use an audio recording to accurately capture the conversation with ...
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 ...
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 ...