Baltimore County Board of Education - Financial Reporting Requirements
HB1257 creates new disclosure rules for residential landlords in Maryland, focused on making rental advertising and lease terms more transparent. For covered properties, a landlord may not advertise a dwelling unit’s rental rate unless all mandatory fees are included in the advertised price or separately stated. Landlords must also give prospective tenants a written, itemized list of all fees that may be imposed, including the basis for each fee, the amount, whether it is mandatory or optional, and when it is due.
The bill defines key terms such as “dwelling unit,” “fee,” “mandatory fee,” and “optional fee,” and it specifically identifies optional fees such as parking, storage, and pet fees. It applies to leases signed or renewed on or after October 1, 2025, and to landlords offering four or more dwelling units for rent. Certain charges are excluded from the bill, including utility charges, some lease-violation costs or fines, and security deposit withholding under existing law.
The bill adds a new section to Maryland’s Real Property Article, Section 8-212.5, and changes landlord-tenant law by requiring fee transparency in rental listings and lease disclosures. Mandatory fees that are not properly disclosed cannot be imposed, and noncompliant lease provisions are unenforceable. The Department of Housing and Community Development is directed to help tenants understand and report violations, adopt implementing regulations, and may impose administrative penalties after a hearing. Tenants may also sue for violations occurring on or after February 1, 2026, with potential treble damages and attorney’s fees. Local governments may enact stronger or more specific laws, and more protective local rules can supersede the state provision.
The bill appears to have been generally well received in the House, where it passed third reading by a wide margin of 134-4. The committee report was favorable with amendments, suggesting broad support for the bill’s consumer-protection goals while also refining its scope and operation. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate organized opposition beyond the small number of negative votes.
The main points of potential contention are the bill’s compliance burdens on landlords and the scope of what must be disclosed in advertised rent. Landlords may object to the requirement that all mandatory fees be included in the advertised rental rate or separately itemized, as well as the private right of action, treble damages, and administrative penalties. Another possible issue is the bill’s applicability threshold for landlords with four or more units and the treatment of certain charges, such as utility costs, lease-violation fees, and common ownership community penalties, which are excluded from the disclosure rules. Supporters are likely tenants, tenant advocates, and consumer-protection groups seeking more transparent “junk fee” disclosures in housing markets.