EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1177*
HOUSE BILL 1177
N1, I3 5lr3176
By: Delegates Hill, Acevero, Kaufman, Patterson, Ruth, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Landlord and Tenant – Tenant Repair and Maintenance Complaint Hotline – 2
Establishment 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Attorney General to establish a certain toll–free hotline 4
for certain tenant complaints concerning repair and maintenance; authorizing the 5
Office of the Attorney General to take certain actions under certain circumstances; 6
and generally relating to a hotline for tenant repair and maintenance complaints. 7
BY adding to 8
Article – Real Property 9
Section 8–504 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
8–504. 16
(A) THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SHALL ESTABLI SH A TOLL–FREE HOTLINE 17
TO: 18
(1) ALLOW A TENANT TO REPORT A COMPLAINT RELATED TO REPAIRS 19
AND MAINTENANCE OF RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY, INCLUDING RESIDENTIA L 20
REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT , THE STATE, OR A LOCAL 21
GOVERNMENT ; AND 22
(2) ALLOW A TENANT TO REPORT A COMPLAIN T ANONYMOUSLY . 23 2 HOUSE BILL 1177
(B) AFTER REVIEW OF A COMPLAINT REPORTED UNDER SUBSE CTION (A) OF 1
THIS SECTION, THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY: 2
(1) REFER A TENANT TO THE MARYLAND LEGAL SERVICES 3
CORPORATION OR OTHER LEGAL SERVI CES ENTITY; 4
(2) REPORT VIOLATIONS FOR LOCAL CODE ENFORCEME NT; OR 5
(3) BRING AN ACTION IN AN APPROPRIATE CO URT TO: 6
(I) RECOVER FOR INJURY OR LOSS S USTAINED AS A RESULT OF 7
A VIOLATION OF THIS TITLE; AND 8
(II) SEEK EQUITABLE RELIEF FOR THE TENANT. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or before February 1, 10
2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030, the Office of the Attorney General shall report to the 11
Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and the House Environment and Transportation 12
Committee, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, for the 13
immediately preceding calendar year, on the hotline established under § 8–504 of the Real 14
Property Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act, including: 15
(1) the total number of complaints reported by tenants using the hotline; 16
(2) to the extent available, the number of complaints received 17
disaggregated by: 18
(i) county or geographical region; 19
(ii) racial and ethnic background; 20
(iii) age range; and 21
(iv) type of complaint; 22
(3) the average time to resolution for complaints received; and 23
(4) any complaint patterns identified by the Office, including 24
disproportionate numbers of complaints against a particular housing management agency, 25
landlord, or umbrella property management group. 26
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27
October 1, 2025. 28