HA1TOHB217 • 2025

This amendment to House Bill No.

Housing

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: K. Johnson
Last action: 2026-05-14
Official status: Passed 5/14/26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

This amendment to House Bill No.

What This Bill Does

This amendment to House Bill No.
217 replaces the term “mailbox” with “drop box”, adds in-person return on the next business day to the means of key surrender, and permits the tenant to leave keys in the rental unit or a secured drop box identified by the landlord.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-05-14 Delaware General Assembly
Passed In House by Voice Vote
2026-05-12 Delaware General Assembly
Introduced and Placed With Bill

Official Summary Text

This amendment to House Bill No. 217 replaces the term “mailbox” with “drop box”, adds in-person return on the next business day to the means of key surrender, and permits the tenant to leave keys in the rental unit or a secured drop box identified by the landlord.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. K. Johnson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

HOUSE BILL NO. 217

AMEND House Bill No. 217 by deleting lines 14 through 17 in their entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

“

(d) If the lease does not provide a clear procedure for the surrender of keys, and the landlord has not provided written instructions for surrender of keys prior to the end of the lease, a tenant may surrender the keys through any of the following methods:

(1) If the last day of the lease term falls on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or other day on which the leasing management office is closed, the tenant may surrender the keys to the landlord in person on the next business day following the expiration of the lease term.

(2) A tenant may leave the keys in the rental unit or secured drop box identified by the landlord or leasing office, with written notice to the landlord in reference to where the keys are placed and the date of return. If the landlord provides a secure drop box under this paragraph, the landlord must clearly label the drop box as secured and the tenant’s duty to surrender the keys is completed once the keys are deposited in the secured drop box.

”.

SYNOPSIS

This amendment to House Bill No. 217 replaces the term “mailbox” with “drop box”, adds in-person return on the next business day to the means of key surrender, and permits the tenant to leave keys in the rental unit or a secured drop box identified by the landlord.