EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1076*
HOUSE BILL 1076
N1 5lr2069
By: Delegates Terrasa, Acevero, Charkoudian, Fair, Foley, Kaufman, Lehman,
Schindler, Solomon, Stewart, Woorman, and Young
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Residential Real Property – Landlord and Tenant – Notice of Landlord Entry 2
FOR the purpose of requiring a landlord of residential property to provide a tenant with 3
certain written notice in a certain manner before the landlord intends to enter a 4
leased premises except under certain circumstances; authorizing the court to issue a 5
certain injunction or assess certain damages under certain circumstances; and 6
generally relating to a landlord entry to a leased premises. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Real Property 9
Section 8–220 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Article – Real Property 15
8–220. 16
(A) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTIONS (B) AND (C) OF THIS SECTION, A LANDLORD 17
MAY ENTER A LEASED P REMISES FOR THE PURP OSE OF: 18
(1) COMPLETING REPAIRS , MAINTENANCE , MODIFICATIONS , 19
RENOVATIONS , OR IMPROVEMENTS TO T HE LEASED PREMISES ; 20
(2) INSPECTING THE LEASED PREMISES; 21
2 HOUSE BILL 1076
(3) SHOWING THE LEASED PREMISES TO PROSPECTIVE OR AC TUAL 1
PURCHASERS , MORTGAGEES , TENANTS, OR CONTRACTORS ; 2
(4) ENSURING THE PROTECTI ON AND SAFETY OF THE PROPERTY AND 3
OCCUPANTS; OR 4
(5) COMPLETING WORK ORDER ED BY A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY. 5
(B) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAP H (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 6
BEFORE ENTERING A LE ASED PREMISES , A LANDLORD SHALL : 7
(I) PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE TENANT OF THE 8
LANDLORD’S INTENT TO ENTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS 9
SECTION; AND 10
(II) ENTER ONLY BETWEEN TH E HOURS OF 9:00 A.M. AND 5:00 11
P.M. MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, OR ANOTHER TIME AGRE ED ON, IN WRITING, BY 12
THE TENANT. 13
(2) A LANDLORD MAY ENTER T HE LEASED PREMISES W ITHOUT 14
PROVIDING NOTICE UND ER THIS SUBSECTION I N THE EVENT OF AN EMER GENCY TO 15
ENSURE THE IMMINENT PROTECTION OR PRESER VATION OF THE PROPER TY OR THE 16
IMMINENT PROTECTION AND SAFETY OF ANY OCCUPANTS. 17
(C) (1) A LANDLORD SHALL PROVI DE WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE TENANT 18
AT LEAST 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE TIME THAT THE LA NDLORD INTENDS TO 19
ENTER THE LEASED PRE MISES. 20
(2) THE NOTICE SHALL INCL UDE: 21
(I) THE DATE AND APPROXIMATE TIME THAT THE LAND LORD 22
INTENDS TO ENTER ; AND 23
(II) THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF E NTRY. 24
(3) THE NOTICE SHALL BE DELIVERED BY: 25
(I) IF THE NOTICE IS DELI VERED AT LEAST 48 HOURS BEFORE 26
THE SPECIFIED TIME , FIRST–CLASS MAIL, WITH A CERTIFICATE O F MAILING; 27
(II) PAPER NOTICE AFFIXED TO THE DOOR O F THE LEASED 28
PREMISES; OR 29
HOUSE BILL 1076 3
(III) IF ELECTED BY THE TEN ANT, ELECTRONIC DELIVERY IN AT 1
LEAST ONE OF THE FOL LOWING FORMS : 2
1. AN E–MAIL MESSAGE ; 3
2. A TEXT MESSAGE ; OR 4
3. THROUGH AN ELECTRONIC TENANT PO RTAL THAT IS 5
ACCESSIBLE TO THE TE NANT AT THE TIME THE NOTICE IS DELIVERED AND THE 6
SPECIFIED ENTRY TIME . 7
(4) ELECTRONIC DELIVERY S HALL PROVIDE THE LAN DLORD WITH 8
PROOF OF TRANSMISSIO N OF THE NOTICE. 9
(5) A TENANT MAY AGREE IN WRITING TO ALLOW A LANDLORD TO 10
ENTER THE LEASED PREMISES LESS THAN 48 HOURS FROM RECEIPT O F NOTICE. 11
(D) (1) TO SEEK RELIEF UNDER THIS SECTION , A TENANT SHALL 12
DEMONSTRATE THAT : 13
(I) A LANDLORD HAS ENTERED THE LEASED PREMISES IN 14
VIOLATION OF THIS SE CTION; OR 15
(II) A LANDLORD HAS MADE RE PEATED DEMANDS FOR E NTRY 16
THAT ARE NOT IN COMP LIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION. 17
(2) IN RESPONSE TO AN ACT ION BROUGHT UNDER TH IS SECTION, THE 18
COURT MAY ISSUE AN I NJUNCTION TO THE LAN DLORD, ASSESS APPROPRIATE 19
DAMAGES AGAINST THE LANDLORD FOR BR EACH OF TENANT ’S COVENANT TO QUIET 20
ENJOYMENT OF THE LEA SED PREMISES, OR BOTH. 21
(E) A LANDLORD IS LIABLE F OR ANY VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION 22
COMMITTED BY THE LANDLORD OR AN AGENT ACTING A T THE DIRECTION OF T HE 23
LANDLORD. 24
(F) IF A TENANT ALLEGES A HOUSING CO DE VIOLATION, THE TENANT SHALL 25
PROVIDE THE LANDLORD ACCESS TO T HE LEASED PREMISES W ITHIN 48 HOURS 26
AFTER NOTIFYING THE LANDLORD OF THE ALLE GED VIOLATION . 27
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
October 1, 2025. 29