Maryland’s Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024
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Maryland’s Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024—signed into law earlier this year—will bring changes to how housing owners and managers across the state operate. While the law touches on everything from security deposit limits to eviction procedures, one of the most immediate compliance challenges for multifamily housing operators is the new requirement to include the Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights in every residential lease.
The mandate took effect July 1, 2025, and applies to all new leases and lease renewals. The state’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is tasked with developing and publishing the official document annually, with the first edition found here.
What is the Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights?
The Tenants’ Bill of Rights will serve as a plain-language summary of tenant protections under state law. Topics addressed in the current version include:
- Rental Application Fees
- Leases & Tenancies
- Rent
- Security Deposits
- Condition of Rental Units
- Evictions
- Constructive Evictions
- Tenants Right of First Refusal
- Prohibited Acts by Landlords
- Tenant Resources
- Utilities Paid to the Landlord
Property owners will not have discretion over this content. The document will be created and maintained by DHCD and published annually, with updates required to be included in leases by June 1 of each year.
Why This Matters for Multifamily Housing Providers
Leases missing the required attachment of the Tenants’ Bill of Rights could be considered noncompliant, which may create legal exposure in disputes, hinder eviction proceedings, or prompt enforcement actions by housing authorities.
Broader Context: Other Key Changes Under the Law
Although the Tenants’ Bill of Rights lease requirement is the headline item for clients and their compliance teams, it comes as part of a broader legislative package aimed at increasing tenant stability and transparency in the housing market. Other notable provisions that took effect October 1, 2024 include:
Security Deposit Cap
Security deposits for most residential leases are now capped at one month’s rent, down from the previous two-month maximum. A limited exception allows deposits of up to two months only if the resident receives verified utility assistance and pays utilities directly to the property manager.
Right of First Refusal for Tenants
Property managers selling owner-occupied rental properties with one to three units must now offer residents the right to purchase the property before selling to a third party. This includes a 30-day negotiation period when listing and a matching right if a third-party offer is more than 10% below the tenant’s original offer.
Changes to Eviction Procedures
The law extends the time between an eviction judgment and the execution of that eviction from four days to seven days. Maryland courts are also now required to pause evictions during severe weather events. Additionally, court filing surcharges for eviction-related actions have increased, and property managers generally may not pass these new costs onto residents.
Eviction Data Transparency
Beginning in 2025, Maryland will launch a public eviction dashboard to track and display filing trends across the state. This is intended to promote transparency and inform future housing policy.
A Tight Timeline and an Ongoing Obligation
The state’s first version of the Tenants’ Bill of Rights was published July 1, 2025, and multifamily owners should treat that as a hard compliance deadline for leases and renewals. Once published, the Bill of Rights must be included in every lease moving forward—and it must be updated annually based on the state’s revisions.
Failure to comply could impact not only legal enforceability but also tenant trust and reputation management.
