SB 657 establishes the Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) Grant Program to provide financial assistance to minorities residing in historically redlined neighborhoods and underrepresented communities who aim to become real estate appraisers. The Maryland Higher Education Commission will administer the program, awarding grants to support individuals pursuing appraisal certification. The bill directly targets closing appraisal service gaps in underserved areas and aims to diversify the real estate appraisal profession. The program becomes effective July 1, 2026, with specific focus on communities historically excluded from equitable housing services.
SB 765 creates an "Heirs Protection Program" administered by Maryland's State Tax Sale Ombudsman to protect heirs who inherit homes from property tax sales. It allows heirs (including those not yet recorded as title holders) to become the legal owner of an inherited dwelling, preventing tax sales and enabling them to remain in their homes. The bill establishes an Heirs Protection Fund financed by state and county governments to support the program, including outreach, grants, and information dissemination. It also expands eligibility for homeowner and homestead tax credits to include qualifying heirs who haven’t yet updated land records, under specific conditions. These changes aim to prevent displacement of families after a homeowner’s death.
SB 941 requires Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), working with the Attorney General, to create a plan identifying rental properties with chronic health and safety violations (like repeated code failures, unsafe conditions, or negligent landlords). The plan must establish methods for reporting such properties (via tenants, local agencies, or tenant groups) and outline specific interventions, including fines, legal actions, tenant escrow accounts, required repair deadlines, and temporary relocation for unsafe units. It mandates DHCD submit this plan and recommendations to the Governor and legislature by August 31, 2027. The bill directly affects tenants living in unsafe housing and landlords operating noncompliant properties.
HB 1148 creates an Heirs Protection Program to prevent tax sales of inherited homes. It allows heirs (people who inherit a home after a homeowner's death) to become the official property owner, stay in their homes, and access property tax relief without losing the home to tax sales. The program is funded by a new Heirs Protection Fund financed by state and county governments, and requires the State Tax Sale Ombudsman to provide outreach and grants. The bill also expands eligibility for certain property tax credits to include heirs who aren't yet listed as the official property owner, under specific conditions.
SB 729 expands a legal aid program that provides representation to tenants facing eviction to include residents of mobile home parks, ensuring they receive legal help during eviction proceedings. The bill requires mobile home park owners to establish pet policies, ensure water meets safety standards, and follow new rules for fees and utility billing, while banning them from denying services due to unpaid rent or personal characteristics. It also mandates a time period for residents to pay overdue rent before eviction and requires park owners to include subtenants as defendants in eviction cases. These changes strengthen tenant protections and clarify responsibilities for mobile home park owners.
HB 1218 requires Maryland's Department of Housing and Community Development (specifically its Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs) to develop a plan identifying rental properties with repeated health and safety violations (like chronic code failures, severe distress, or unaddressed hazards) and to outline interventions for landlords. The plan must establish how to identify these properties (via tenant reports, local agencies, or tenant groups), detail specific actions like fines, corrective deadlines, mandatory repairs, pest control, and temporary tenant relocation, and include recommendations for legal changes. It mandates the department submit this plan to the Governor and General Assembly by August 31, 2027, after which the bill expires on December 31, 2027. This directly affects tenants living in unsafe housing and negligent landlords of multi-unit rentals.
SB 829, the "Bring Back Main Street Act," requires certain Maryland counties to permit multifamily developments (buildings with five or more dwelling units sharing common walls) and mixed-use developments (residential plus non-residential uses where non-residential is under 50% of space and limited to first floors) as standard zoning. It prohibits counties from imposing restrictions on these developments, such as limiting height or density, while allowing counties to require a minimum percentage of retail space and on-site parking. The bill directly affects counties, developers, and communities by streamlining approval for housing projects that combine residential and commercial uses. This change aims to increase housing options in areas where such developments were previously restricted under local zoning rules.
HB 1137 (the "Bring Back Main Street Act") requires Maryland counties to permit multifamily developments (buildings with 5+ residential units sharing walls) and mixed-use developments (primarily residential with non-residential space limited to under 50% of total floor area, confined to first floors) on certain properties. It prohibits counties from imposing restrictions on these developments, such as limiting building height or density, while allowing counties to require a minimum of 15% of floor space in mixed-use projects to be dedicated to retail uses and to mandate on-site parking. The bill directly affects counties (by changing their zoning authority), developers seeking to build these projects, and property owners on affected parcels. It updates Maryland’s land use code to streamline approval for these development types, aiming to support community revitalization.
HB 894, the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act, automatically designates qualifying transit-oriented developments (near rail stations with at least hourly service Monday-Friday 8am-6pm) as enterprise zones, granting tax incentives without separate approval. The bill requires the Maryland Development Corporation to prioritize redevelopment projects near transit in its loan programs and delays certain development fees for residential housing projects. It also changes local land use regulations near transit stations by altering municipal authority to restrict development in these areas.
SB 12 requires landlords to provide air-conditioning in most residential rental units during summer months (June 1-September 30) to maintain indoor temperatures at or below 80°F. It applies to apartment buildings with four or more units, excluding historic properties, buildings constructed between 1940-1950, and specific Baltimore public housing units. Landlords must ensure AC systems are functional for tenant-controlled units or maintain temperature limits for landlord-controlled systems. New constructions must comply starting June 1, 2026, while renovated units with major electrical or heating upgrades must comply starting October 1, 2026. The law does not affect buildings with permits issued before the law’s effective date.
