Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB644 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	sb0644
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 644
8	8	N1 4lr1724
9	9	SB 504/23 – JPR CF HB 477
10	10	By: Senators Muse, Carter, and Sydnor
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2024
12	12	Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Landlord and Tenant – Residential Leases and Holdover Tenancies – Local Just 2
19	19	Cause Termination Provisions 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of authorizing a county, including Baltimore City, to adopt by local law 4
22	22	or ordinance provisions prohibiting a landlord of residential property from failing to 5
23	23	renew a lease during the lease period or from terminating a holdover tenancy 6
24	24	without just cause; establishing certain requirements for a local law or ordinance 7
25	25	adopted in accordance with this Act; and generally relating to residential leases and 8
26	26	holdover tenancies. 9
27	27
28	28	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
29	29	Article – Real Property 11
30	30	Section 8–402(c)(1) and (d) 12
31	31	Annotated Code of Maryland 13
32	32	(2023 Replacement Volume) 14
33	33
34	34	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
35	35	Article – Real Property 16
36	36	Section 8–402(c)(2) 17
37	37	Annotated Code of Maryland 18
38	38	(2023 Replacement Volume) 19
39	39
40	40	BY adding to 20
41	41	Article – Real Property 21
42	42	Section 8–402.3 22
43	43	Annotated Code of Maryland 23
44	44	(2023 Replacement Volume) 24
45	45
46	46	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 25
47	47	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 26
48	48	2 SENATE BILL 644
49	49
50	50
51	51	Article – Real Property 1
52	52
53	53	8–402. 2
54	54
55	55	(c) (1) This subsection applies to all cases of tenancies at the expiration of a 3
56	56	stated term, tenancies from year to year, tenancies from month to month, and tenancies 4
57	57	from week to week. 5
58	58
59	59	(2) Except as provided in paragraphs [3 and 4] (3) AND (4) of this 6
60	60	subsection, AND SUBJECT TO ANY L OCAL REQUIREMENT ADO PTED UNDER § 8–402.3 7
61	61	OF THIS SUBTITLE , a landlord shall provide written notice of the intent to terminate a 8
62	62	tenancy: 9
63	63
64	64	(i) If the parties have a written lease for a stated term in excess of 10
65	65	1 week or a tenancy from month to month, 60 days before the expiration of the tenancy; 11
66	66
67	67	(ii) In the case of tenancies from year to year, including tobacco farm 12
68	68	tenancies from year to year but excluding all other farm tenancies from year to year, 90 13
69	69	days before the expiration of the current year of the tenancy; 14
70	70
71	71	(iii) In the case of tenancies from year to year for all other farm 15
72	72	tenancies, 180 days before the expiration of the current year of the tenancy; and 16
73	73
74	74	(iv) In the case of tenancies from week to week: 17
75	75
76	76	1. If the parties have a written lease, 7 days before the 18
77	77	expiration of the tenancy; or 19
78	78
79	79	2. If the parties do not have a written lease, 21 days before 20
80	80	the expiration of the tenancy. 21
81	81
82	82	(d) Unless stated otherwise in the written lease and initialed by the tenant, when 22
83	83	a landlord consents to a holdover tenant remaining on the premises, the holdover tenant 23
84	84	becomes a periodic week–to–week tenant if the tenant was a week–to–week tenant before 24
85	85	the tenant’s holding over, and a periodic month–to–month tenant in all other cases. 25
86	86
87	87	8–402.3. 26
88	88
89	89	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 27
90	90	INDICATED. 28
91	91
92	92	(2) “HOLDOVER TENANCY ” MEANS A TENANCY ESTA BLISHED UNDER 29
93	93	§ 8–402(D) OF THIS SUBTITLE. 30
94	94
95	95	(3) (I) “JUST CAUSE” MEANS GROUNDS ESTABL ISHED BY LOCAL 31
96	96	LAW OR ORDINANCE THA T JUSTIFY THE NONREN EWAL OF A LEASE OR T HE 32 SENATE BILL 644 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	TERMINATION OF A HOL DOVER TENANCY BY A L ANDLORD. 1
100	100
101	101	(II) “JUST CAUSE” MAY INCLUDE: 2
102	102
103	103	1. A TENANT COMMITTING A SUBSTANTIAL BREACH O F 3
104	104	THE LEASE OR CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE T O THE LEASED PREMISE S OR 4
105	105	ANOTHER AREA OF THE PROPERTY AND , AFTER RECEIVING NOTI CE TO CURE OR 5
106	106	CORRECT THE BREACH O R PAY THE REASONABLE COST OF REPAIRING THE DAM AGE, 6
107	107	THE TENANT FAILS TO COMPLY WITHIN A REAS ONABLE PERIOD OF TIM E 7
108	108	ESTABLISHED UNDER LO CAL LAW OR ORDINANCE ; 8
109	109
110	110	2. AFTER RECEIVING NOTIC E FROM A LANDLORD , A 9
111	111	TENANT FAILING TO CE ASE DISORDERLY CONDU CT THAT DISTURBS THE PEACE AND 10
112	112	QUIET OF OTHER TENAN TS WITHIN A REASONAB LE PERIOD ESTABLISHE D UNDER 11
113	113	LOCAL LAW OR ORDINAN CE; 12
114	114
115	115	3. A TENANT ENGAGING IN I LLEGAL ACTIVITY ON T HE 13
116	116	LEASED PREMISES , ANOTHER AREA OF THE PROPERTY, OR A PUBLIC RIGHT –OF–WAY 14
117	117	ABUTTING THE LEASED PREMISES; 15
118	118
119	119	4. A TENANT, WITHOUT REASONABLE C AUSE, REFUSING 16
120	120	TO GRANT THE LANDLOR D ACCESS TO THE LEAS ED PREMISES FOR THE PURPOSE OF 17
121	121	MAKING REPAIRS OR IM PROVEMENTS OR INSPEC TING THE LEASED PREM ISES, OR 18
122	122	AS OTHERWISE AUTHORI ZED UNDER THE RESIDE NTIAL LEASE OR APP LICABLE LAW; 19
123	123
124	124	5. A LANDLORD, IN GOOD FAITH, SEEKING TO RECOVER 20
125	125	POSSESSION OF THE LE ASED PREMISES FOR US E BY THE LANDLORD OR THE 21
126	126	LANDLORD’S SPOUSE, CHILD, PARENT, OR GRANDPARENT ; OR 22
127	127
128	128	6. A LANDLORD, IN GOOD FAITH, SEEKING TO REMOVE 23
129	129	THE LEASED PREMISE S PERMANENTLY FROM T HE RENTAL MARKET . 24
130	130
131	131	(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO RESIDENTIAL LEASES. 25
132	132
133	133	(C) (1) (I) A COUNTY MAY ENACT , BY LOCAL LAW OR ORDI NANCE, 26
134	134	PROVISIONS THAT PROH IBIT A LANDLORD FROM FAILING TO RENEW A L EASE 27
135	135	DURING THE LEASE PER IOD OR SEEKING T O TERMINATE A HOLDOV ER TENANCY 28
136	136	WITHOUT JUST CAUSE . 29
137	137
138	138	(II) A LOCAL LAW OR ORDINAN CE MAY NOT REQUIRE A 30
139	139	LANDLORD TO PROVIDE JUST CAUSE IF A TENA NT PROVIDES NOTICE T O THE 31
140	140	LANDLORD THAT EXPRES SES THE TENANT ’S INTENT NOT TO RENE W THE LEASE OR 32
141	141	TO CONTINUE WITH THE HOLDOVER TENANCY . 33 4 SENATE BILL 644
142	142
143	143
144	144
145	145	(2) (I) SUBJECT TO SUBPARAGRA PH (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , 1
146	146	NOTHING IN THIS SECT ION MAY BE INTERPRET ED TO ALTER THE RIGH TS OF A 2
147	147	LANDLORD THAT SEEKS RELIEF UNDER THIS SU BTITLE. 3
148	148
149	149	(II) A LANDLORD IN A COUNTY THAT HAS ADOPTED A L OCAL 4
150	150	LAW OR ORDINANCE UNDER THIS SUBSECTION MAY SEEK RELIEF UNDER § 8–402 OF 5
151	151	THIS SUBTITLE ONLY A FTER DECLINING TO EN TER INTO A NEW LEASE OR TO 6
152	152	CONTINUE A HOLDOVER TENANCY IN ACCORDANC E WITH THE PROVISION S OF THE 7
153	153	LOCAL LAW OR ORDINAN CE. 8
154	154
155	155	(D) A LOCAL LAW OR ORDIN ANCE ADOPTED UNDER S UBSECTION (C) OF THIS 9
156	156	SECTION SHALL REQUIR E THAT: 10
157	157
158	158	(1) A LANDLORD PROVIDE WRI TTEN NOTICE BY FIRST –CLASS MAIL 11
159	159	WITH A CERTIFICATE O F MAILING TO A TENAN T STATING THE JUST C AUSE FOR THE 12
160	160	NONRENEWAL OF A LEAS E OR THE TERMINATION OF A HOLDOV ER TENANCY; 13
161	161
162	162	(2) A COMPLAINT FILED UNDE R § 8–402 OF THIS SUBTITLE INC LUDE 14
163	163	A STATEMENT OF THE J UST CAUSE FOR THE NO NRENEWAL OF A LEASE OR THE 15
164	164	TERMINATION OF A HOL DOVER TENANCY ; AND 16
165	165
166	166	(3) A LANDLORD THAT FILES A COMPLAINT UNDER § 8–402 OF THIS 17
167	167	SUBTITLE PLEAD SPECIFIC FACTS DEMONSTRATING JUST C AUSE FOR THE 18
168	168	NONRENEWAL OF A LEAS E OR THE TERMINATION OF A HOLDOVER TENANC Y. 19
169	169
170	170	(E) A LOCAL LAW OR ORDINAN CE ADOPTED UNDER THI S SECTION MAY NOT 20
171	171	CONFLICT WITH THE NO TICE REQUIREMENTS OF § 8–402(C) OF THIS SUBTITLE. 21
172	172
173	173	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 22
174	174	October 1, 2024. 23
175	175