HB 1196 requires Maryland's Department of the Environment to establish a mobile home park water quality testing program by January 1, 2027. The program mandates testing 25% of parks by 2028, 50% by 2029, 75% by 2030, and 100% by 2031, prioritizing parks with ≥40% minority residents, known contamination areas, or resident complaints. Park owners must take corrective actions if water quality issues are found, and the Department must notify residents and develop a statewide action plan. This directly affects mobile home park owners, residents, and the Department of the Environment through mandated testing, reporting, and remediation requirements.
HB 1279 modifies Maryland's Catalytic Revitalization Project Tax Credit program to expand eligibility and adjust credit calculations. It updates definitions to include properties formerly owned by the federal government or state, or those formerly used as schools/hospitals, and clarifies income thresholds for "workforce housing" (e.g., 60-150% area median income in designated areas). The bill changes how tax credits are claimed: for workforce housing projects, 50% of the credit applies to workforce units in the first year, with 33% of non-workforce costs spread over three subsequent years. This directly affects developers and property owners rehabilitating qualifying properties seeking state tax credits. The changes aim to simplify claiming while expanding opportunities for projects in targeted communities.
SB 872 amends Maryland law to redefine "rental dwelling unit" for lead risk reduction regulations. It removes the word "[independent]" from the definition, clarifying that a rental dwelling unit includes any room or group of rooms forming a single habitable unit with permanent living facilities (for sleeping, cooking, sanitation, etc.), regardless of whether it's physically separated. This change directly affects landlords and property managers of rental housing subject to lead safety requirements, as it expands the scope of units covered under existing lead risk reduction laws. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.
HB 85 creates a legal framework for Maryland nonstock corporations (like rental property owners) to convert into cooperative limited equity housing corporations. It establishes requirements for conversion, including a 60-day vote by members, and mandates that these cooperatives provide moving expense reimbursements and advance notice to low-income households (earning ≤80% of area median income) if they sell their units. The bill also sets rules for membership composition, restricts how cooperative interests can be sold or appreciated, and prohibits local governments from blocking such conversions. The Maryland Department of Housing will oversee implementation, including setting standards and providing grants to support new cooperative housing projects.
HB 590 renames Howard County's Agricultural Land Preservation Fund to the Agricultural Preservation and Innovation Fund and specifies how property transfer tax revenues are distributed. The bill directs 25% of transfer tax proceeds to school construction, 25% to park and watershed projects, and the remaining 50% to be split: 50% (of the remainder) for agricultural programs (including innovation to support farming sustainability), 25% for low-income housing and community improvement, and 25% for fire services. It also requires that any revenue from an increased transfer tax rate be distributed equally among school capital projects, recreation and parks capital projects, low-income housing, and fire services. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 130 requires landlords in multi-unit apartment buildings (with more than two dwelling units) to install individual water meters for each unit instead of using bulk billing. It prohibits landlords from charging tenants for leaks, poor maintenance, or common areas, and mandates that meters include leak detection monitors that tenants can inspect. Landlords must maintain clear records of water costs and usage for tenant review, and unpaid water bills cannot be used as grounds for eviction. The law, effective October 1, 2026, also allows a $1 monthly administrative fee to cover billing costs.
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.
SB 274 updates Maryland's fair housing laws to address discriminatory practices regardless of intent. It defines "discriminatory effect" as actions creating segregated housing patterns based on protected characteristics like race, disability, or sexual orientation, even without malicious intent. The bill requires housing authorities and political subdivisions to actively "affirmatively further fair housing" and prohibits practices with disparate impacts on protected groups. These changes apply to all housing providers, landlords, and government entities involved in housing decisions. The law removes intent as a defense for discriminatory housing practices, aligning enforcement with federal standards.
HB 1259 prohibits local Maryland jurisdictions (counties and Baltimore City) from denying or restricting family child care homes that meet state licensing requirements, including limiting the number of children below state standards. It requires local governments to classify these homes as residential activities and permit them under residential zoning rules. The bill amends Maryland's land use code to ensure consistency with state licensing standards and prevent local zoning barriers for licensed child care providers. The law takes effect on October 1, 2026.
SB 267, the "Building Affordably in My Back Yard Act," aims to increase residential housing development by changing oversight, regulation, and tax policies. It requires property owners to certify contact information to the housing department, empowers local governments to streamline approvals for housing projects, and sets housing production targets. The bill allows counties to reduce certain taxes or fees for affordable housing projects while increasing them for non-affordable developments, and permits local tax adjustments for different property types. These changes directly affect property owners, local governments, and housing developers across Maryland.
