Health Insurance – Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Enrollment – Effective Dates
HB0273 amends Maryland’s residential landlord-tenant law governing late fees in residential leases. The bill changes the way the maximum late-payment penalty is calculated so that a landlord may not charge a penalty greater than 5% of the amount of unpaid rent due for the rental period that was delinquent, rather than 5% of the total amount due. It also preserves the existing special rule for weekly rentals, which limits late fees to $3 per week or $12 per month.
The bill is a targeted consumer-protection measure for residential tenants. It narrows the base on which late fees may be assessed, which can reduce the amount a landlord may collect when a tenant pays rent late but has already paid part of the rent due for that period. The bill applies to residential leases under Maryland’s Real Property Article and takes effect October 1, 2025.
HB0273 amends § 8-208(d)(3) of the Real Property Article to clarify that the 5% cap on late-payment penalties is calculated from the unpaid portion of rent, not the full amount due. The bill leaves in place the rule making prohibited lease provisions unenforceable and the tenant’s ability to recover actual damages and reasonable attorney’s fees if a landlord attempts to enforce an unlawful provision. Its practical effect is to limit late-fee exposure for residential tenants and to require landlords to revise lease forms and billing practices to comply with the new calculation method.
The available record shows no committee transcript, recorded debate, or vote breakdown, so there is no documented opposition or support to characterize in detail. Based on the bill’s content and enactment, the measure appears to have been treated as a straightforward technical and tenant-protection adjustment rather than a controversial policy change. The fact that it was approved and enacted suggests general legislative acceptance.
No specific points of contention are reflected in the provided materials. The only likely area of dispute would be the financial impact on landlords, who would receive less in late fees under the revised calculation, versus tenant advocates who would view the change as a fairer and more precise limit on penalties. Because no committee discussion or vote record is included, it is not possible to attribute those positions to any named legislators, organizations, or stakeholder groups.