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 annually.

CB-08-2024 was enacted on April 9, 2024, and signed by the County Executive on April 15, 2024.

Deadline for New Emergency Rental Assistance Program Applications

The Prince George’s County Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) has assisted over 11,276 households, making over $112 million in rent and utility payments to landlords on behalf of tenants since March 2021. These payments have enabled tenants to stay housed during the COVID-19 pandemic while assisting landlords in maintaining their property obligations. To date, Prince George’s County has been leading the State in the deployment of rental assistance funds, and in collaboration with our non-profit community partners, Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County, Housing Initiative Partnership, as well as the Office of the Sheriff and the Office of Community Relations, we continue to work in diverting evictions and keeping families safely housed.

Effective Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will again limit access to the ERAP application portal to those tenant households with an active court-filed eviction. Subsequently, DHCD will continue its focus on reviewing and processing remaining applications to ensure that it has the funding needed for the open/pending applications that still need to be processed for payment while also targeting those tenant households at immediate risk of housing instability.

Tenant households with active court-filed eviction cases and in possession of a court summons, court judgment, or warrant of restitution will still be able to apply for ERAP. Please go to the DHCD ERAP website to apply and submit a copy of your court summons, judgment, or warrant of restitution.

For additional questions, tenant households should call the ERAP Call Center on (301) 883-6504, option 9. The ERAP Call Center customer service representative will instruct the tenant on next steps. ERAP tenant households applying for ERAP assistance must read and listen to all instructions prior to completing the ERAP application. DHCD will screen applications received and those without the required court-filed eviction documentation will not be reviewed.

Working with our community service providers, DHCD will ensure that the remaining ERAP funds will be used to assist tenant households with eligible pending applications submitted prior to May 1, 2024, and those facing active court-ordered evictions. Low-income households at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI) facing eviction will continue to be prioritized. Applicants will be contacted by their assigned reviewers to finalize all necessary information needed for reviewing an ERAP application.

The submission of an ERAP application does not guarantee approval for ERAP assistance.  Along with their application, tenant households at or below 30% AMI must submit at least a court summons. Tenant households at or between 31% to 80% AMI, must submit at least a court judgment. All applications are carefully reviewed, validated, and subject to federal eligibility requirements. ERAP applications are also subject to the availability of funding at the time of processing.