Tenant and Landlord Affairs
The Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs, created by the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024, helps Maryland tenants and landlords understand and navigate their rights and responsibilities under federal and state renter laws.
Each year, the office releases a Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights. This document summarizes tenant rights and protections, and must be attached to leases by landlords. We also manage the state regulations and property owner reporting portal required by Maryland’s Right of First Refusal law. The law requires certain rental property owners to provide their tenant the first opportunity to make an offer to purchase the property before the owner can sell to a third party.
The Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs is also responsible for coordinating and staffing the Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force, analyzing eviction data from the District Court of Maryland, and producing an annual report on evictions.
What we do
Landlords and housing industry professionals
For landlords, property managers, real estate agents, and other housing industry professionals, we can:
- Provide education on the Tenant Bill of Rights and Right of First Refusal requirements you must follow under state law
- Provide guidance to property owners on submitting required documentation when they sell a rental property subject to Right of First Refusal law
Tenants
For tenants, we can help you:
- Understand and exercise your rights if you are having a dispute with your landlord or lease that cannot be resolved directly
- Help you report discrimination by your landlord or another violation of federal, state, or local renter laws to the right enforcement agency
- Connect to a legal services agency that can provide legal advice or representation for an eviction case, voucher or subsidy termination, rent escrow case, or other dispute with your landlord or rental unit
- Connect to DHCD and HUD-approved housing counseling programs to improve your credit, start the process of becoming a homeowner, or support you in submitting a purchase offer to buy your rental unit under Right of First Refusal
- Connect to your local housing code enforcement office to report housing quality issues with your unit
Important note
The Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs cannot:
- Provide legal advice or representation to tenants or landlords
- Mediate disputes between tenants and landlords
- Provide direct housing assistance
If you are a tenant and need legal help, we can refer you to a legal services provider. A full list of legal services providers can be found on the renter resources page linked below.
Resources
Tenant and Landlord Affairs Resources
Landlord resources
Under Maryland law (SB335/HB312 of 2026), the landlord must offer tenants the option to have their positive rental payments reported to consumer reporting agencies. This only includes complete and timely payments.
- Leases signed on or after October 1, 2026: The landlord must offer the reporting option during lease signing.
- Leases signed before October 1, 2026: The landlord must offer the reporting option to existing tenants by January 1, 2027.
- Annual requirement: The landlord must offer this option to tenants at least once each year.
- Service fee: The landlord may charge participating tenants a fee. The fee may not exceed the actual cost to the landlord to provide the service or $10 per month, whichever is lower.
Forms:
- Positive Rental Payment History Reporting Form - PDF - 126.01 KB
- Positive Rental Payment History Reporting Form - DOCX - 1.62 MB
Learn more:
Contact information
Requesting a Presentation: To ask DHCD staff to speak to your association or group about the Tenant Bill of Rights or Right of First Refusal, fill out the Training Request Form.
Tenant Issues: If you are a tenant and need to report a violation or get help with a landlord-tenant issue, email [email protected].
Professional Assistance: If you are a housing industry professional and need technical assistance or need help with the Tenant Bill of Rights or Right of First Refusal, email [email protected].
General Questions: For other questions, contact the Department of Housing and Community Development using the Customer Service Inquiry Form.