Bill > S997

This bill creates a new Office of Tenant Protections within the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, to be led by a director appointed by the secretary of housing and livable communities. The office will have significant responsibilities for enforcing housing standards, specifically concurrent enforcement with public health officials of the State Sanitary Code's minimum standards for human habitation. The office will have broad powers to inspect residences, issue and serve noncompliance orders, hold hearings on those orders, and impose fines for violations of housing standards. Specifically, the office can inspect residential properties as defined in the State Sanitary Code, issue orders to properties not meeting minimum fitness standards, conduct hearings on those orders, and levy fines according to existing regulations. Any final decisions made by the office regarding noncompliance can be appealed through the judicial system, following the same process as appeals from local boards of health. The executive office is also required to develop regulations or guidance to implement these new responsibilities, ensuring a clear framework for the office's operations and enforcement capabilities.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S997