The Maryland General Assembly adjourned for the year on April 7, passing several housing-related bills. Below is a selected list of housing and consumer bills enacted during their 90-day session. 

Consumer 

HB0107/SB0049 – Requires a person who makes an automatic renewal offer to consumers to allow the consumer to cancel the automatic renewal in a cost-effective, timely, and easy-to-use manner. The bill also requires such offers to be displayed in a specific format and to include certain information; establishes that compliance with specified regulations or licenses constitutes compliance with the Act; and declares that a violation of the Act is an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice. (Signed by Gov. Moore 4/22; takes effect June 1, 2026) 

HB0268 – Alters laws related to hospitals’ financial assistance and debt collection policies; specifies the percentage by which hospitals must reduce a patient’s out-of-pocket expenses under certain circumstances; adds to the notice requirements regarding financial assistance; and prohibits a hospital from filing a civil action to collect a debt if the amount owed is $500 or less. (Takes effect October 1, 2025) 

HB0431 – Prohibits a consumer contract from imposing a shorter time limit for bringing an action than what is allowed under Maryland law. (Signed by Gov. Moore 4/22; takes effect June 1, 2026) 

HB1020 – Prohibits outpatient medical debt from being adversely reported to credit agencies. (Signed by Gov. Moore 4/22; takes effect October 1, 2025) 

HB0347 – Alters provisions related to the filing, maintenance, and transmittal of land records, and defines a “land record” as any document recorded by a clerk of the circuit court relating to property. (Signed by Gov. Moore 4/08; takes effect October 1, 2025) 

HB1294 – Earned Wage Access —this bill legalizes costly fintech payday loans, where consumers pay fees and optional tips to access their earned wages before payday. These fees and tips are likely to exceed Maryland’s long-standing 33% rate cap. (Takes effect October 1, 2025) 

Housing 

HB1516 – Creates a category of passive trusts for secondary mortgages that are exempt from registration, licensing, regulation, or enforcement. This legislation may allow zombie mortgages to flourish, and new financial products may emerge to exploit the resulting loophole. (Signed by Gov. Moore 4/22) 

HB0796/SB0566 – Increases the filing fee for orders to docket or complaints to foreclose on residential mortgages or deeds of trust from $300 to $450. (Takes effect October 1, 2025) 

HB0872/SB0606 – Clarifies that liability for failing to comply with tenant right-of-first-refusal requirements applies solely to the property owner and does not attach to the property itself. (Takes effect October 1, 2025) 

Landlord/Tenant 

HB0273 – Revises the cap on late rent penalties in residential leases, prohibiting penalties that exceed 5% of the unpaid rent (as opposed to 5% of the total amount due). (Takes effect October 1, 2025) 

HB0767 – Requires landlords to notify tenants when a court issues a warrant of restitution for nonpayment of rent, breach of lease, or holding over. The bill also sets procedures and requirements for executing a warrant of repossession. (Takes effect October 1, 2025) 

SB0032 – Requires the District Court to hold a hearing within 45 days of a landlord’s complaint in tenant holdover cases, if the landlord or their spouse is on active duty with the U.S. military. It also authorizes a private process server to serve a summons if the sheriff or constable fails to do so within 10 days. (Takes effect October 1, 2025) 

Tax Sale 

HB0059 – Authorizes tax collectors to withhold from tax sale certain properties occupied by heirs of deceased owners. It also requires that specific owner-occupied properties and properties occupied by heirs be excluded from tax sale. Each county must establish a registry for interested parties, or the Tax Sale Ombudsman may designate properties to be withheld under applicable laws. The State Department of Assessments and Taxation is required to assist counties in creating and maintaining the registry upon request. 

The bill also: 

• Authorizes counties and municipalities to withhold from tax sale properties designated for redevelopment; 

• Revises the content of required statements sent to owners of properties subject to tax sale; 

• Updates provisions related to abandoned properties sold for less than the lien amount; 

• Establishes a maximum redemption rate for owner-occupied properties sold at tax sale; 

• Prohibits the inclusion of taxes, interest, and penalties that accrue after the sale date in the redemption payment; 

• Modifies notice requirements for persons with an interest in tax sale properties; 

• Requires plaintiffs in foreclosure actions to notify the State Tax Sale Ombudsman when the property is owner-occupied; 

• Extends the waiting period before a plaintiff may take possession of a tenant-occupied property following foreclosure; 

• Updates notice requirements prior to possession of tenant-occupied properties; 

• Requires counties to maintain records used for the Annual Tax Sale Survey for a minimum period; 

• Modifies eligibility rules for participation in the Homeowner Protection Program. 

Overall, the bill significantly reforms procedures and protections related to tax sales. (Signed by Gov. Moore 4/22; takes effect January 1, 2026) 

HB0790 – Requires the State Tax Sale Ombudsman to include information about a State installment payment program for property taxes on the Ombudsman’s website. Also requires tax collectors to include information about applicable State or local installment payment programs in a separate insert with each property tax bill. If a tax collector maintains a website, the same information must be posted online. Additionally, certain notices sent to owners of properties in tax sale must include an insert with details about these programs for overdue property taxes. This bill generally relates to improving taxpayer awareness of installment payment options for property taxes. (Signed by Gov. Moore 4/22; takes effect May 1, 2027)