HB 343 requires housing development projects receiving state funding to offer HUD-certified housing counseling services to prospective residents. It mandates that these services must be provided by counselors employed by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The bill also requires the Governor to appropriate $200,000 annually starting in fiscal year 2028 for community development organizations to partner with approved housing counseling agencies. This directly affects developers receiving state housing funds and prospective residents of subsidized housing projects.
SB 180 allows fair housing testers working for specific programs (federal, state, local governments, or qualifying nonprofit civil rights organizations) to legally record oral communications during housing tests to document potential discrimination. The bill creates an exception to Maryland's wiretap law, permitting testers to intercept conversations they are party to if the recording is solely for gathering evidence of fair housing violations under federal, state, or local law. Crucially, recordings made under this exception cannot be used as evidence in court or other proceedings except to enforce fair housing laws. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and directly affects fair housing testing organizations and their trained testers.
HB 523 (Real Property - Residential Foreclosures - Commencement Restrictions) delays foreclosure actions on residential properties by requiring a 90-day waiting period after a default or notice of intent to foreclose, whichever is later. It directly affects homeowners facing foreclosure and mortgage lenders by adding this waiting period, with limited exceptions for fraud, no payments, property destruction, bankruptcy, or vacant properties. Key provisions include mandatory affidavits verifying default details and notice accuracy, a $450 filing fee, and requirements for loss mitigation documentation. The bill modifies Maryland's foreclosure law to provide additional time for homeowners to seek alternatives before a foreclosure case can proceed.
SB 389, the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act, automatically designates transit-oriented development (TOD) areas near rail stations with hourly weekday service (8 a.m.-6 p.m.) as enterprise zones - bypassing normal limits on such designations. It requires Maryland’s development corporation to prioritize loans for projects redeveloping state-owned land near rail stations and delays development taxes/fees for qualifying residential projects. The bill also adds project labor agreements as a scoring factor for TOD funding and adjusts local land-use regulations to support transit-focused development. Directly affecting developers, local governments, and communities near transit hubs, it aims to accelerate housing and infrastructure near rail corridors.
HB 989 modifies how income is calculated for elderly individuals seeking state assistance. It prohibits including rental income from a portion of an individual's primary residence (e.g., renting a room) when determining eligibility for state tax credits, housing assistance, or medical assistance programs. The Department of Aging must review all relevant programs to confirm applicability and notify administering agencies if the rule applies. This change directly affects elderly Marylanders who rely on state assistance programs with income-based eligibility requirements. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 1506 limits fees that new condominium or homeowners association (HOA) owners must pay at closing. It prohibits associations from charging new unit owners (not initial buyers) more than the current monthly assessment paid by existing owners at closing. Similarly, new lot owners in HOAs cannot be charged more than the existing lot owner's current monthly assessment. This bill directly affects new buyers in these communities by capping their initial capital contribution fees. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB 402 establishes a Common Ownership Community Ombudsman Unit within Maryland's Attorney General's Office to handle complaints from residents of homeowners associations (HOAs), condominiums, and cooperative housing communities about final adverse decisions made by their governing bodies. The unit will monitor relevant laws, provide members with information and referrals to dispute resolution services, and either make determinations about whether decisions violate laws or refer complaints to local county commissions. The bill also requires all common ownership communities to file governing documents with the Department of Housing and Community Development and mandates the department to create a public database of these documents. Annual reports on the unit's activities, including complaint volumes and actions taken, must be submitted to the department and the General Assembly.
HB 80 requires landlords managing four or more rental units to provide prospective tenants with a clear, written list of all fees (including mandatory and optional fees like parking or pet charges) before signing a lease. It prohibits landlords from charging any mandatory fee that wasn’t disclosed in advance and makes lease terms violating this rule unenforceable. Tenants can sue landlords for violations occurring after February 2027, potentially recovering triple damages plus attorney fees. The law excludes utility charges, security deposits, and fees tied to tenant actions (like replacement keys), and takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB 432 repeals a provision in Maryland law that allowed municipalities to prohibit "vagrancy" (laws targeting homeless or loitering individuals without clear purpose). The bill directly affects local governments by removing their legal authority to enforce such vagrancy prohibitions under Section 5-207(c)(2) of the Maryland Annotated Code. Key mechanisms include deleting "vagrancy" from the list of activities municipalities could ban, while preserving other related powers like prohibiting gambling or vice. The change takes effect October 1, 2026, and represents a concrete policy shift in local law enforcement authority.
