Bill > HB774

This bill allows counties in Maryland to enact local laws or ordinances that require landlords of residential properties to have "good cause" to refuse to renew a lease or to terminate a tenancy where a tenant remains in the property after the lease ends (a "holdover tenancy"). "Good cause" is defined by the bill to include specific tenant actions like substantial lease violations, disorderly conduct, illegal activity, or habitually late rent payments, as well as landlord actions such as seeking to occupy the property themselves or undertaking substantial renovations. The bill also specifies that these local laws can only apply to landlords who own six or more residential rental units in the state and cannot apply to short-term rentals or owner-occupied units. Furthermore, landlords must provide tenants with specific written notice of the good cause for non-renewal or termination, and if they claim they are not subject to local good cause rules, they must provide detailed ownership information. The bill also clarifies that counties cannot add or change the defined grounds for good cause and that any local law must apply uniformly throughout the county.