Maryland passes Tenant Safety Act

ANNAPOLIS, Md – Annapolis Monday saw Sine Die, the final day of Maryland’s legislative session. Multiple bills passed through the Senate and the House that are meant to address what many consider to be a housing crisis in the state .

Among these was House Bill 1117, or the Tenant Safety Act, establishing that landlords are responsible for providing tenants a dwelling that is habitable and safe. The bill provides mechanisms that will assist tenants in taking action when landlords allow dangerous conditions to develop and go unaddressed.

Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes (D) of District 37A was a strong proponent of the bill, sharing her experience saying, “I was going around once again in my district, specifically in Cambridge, and seeing property where the mold was an issue, roaches were an issue, and those things [make a place] not habitable. These issues need to be addressed.”

The bill passed 100-36 in the House, as it also includes certain protections for landlords. It includes provisions that would help landlords to recoup court costs in some cases. Delegate Chris Adams (R) from District 37B supported the bill, coloring it as a strong compromise that doesn’t overstep its bounds: “Our role here in Annapolis is to make sure that these don’t overreach. We want to protect tenants. Who doesn’t? But landlords still have a valuable service and we had to really figure out how to make sure that whatever did pass was workable,” he continued, “As a landlord myself, I can certainly relate to wanting to make sure you have safe housing… At the same time, there is a tangle between what’s ‘responsible’ from a landlord perspective to work with tenants, and at what point are we going overboard?”

House Bill 1117 awaits Governor Moore’s signature.