HB0153 • 2026

Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement

Housing

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Lehman , Pena-Melnyk , Ruth , Stewart , and Terrasa
Last action: 2026-04-01
Official status: In the House - Third Reading Passed (90-30)
Effective date: 2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

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

Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement

Requiring a landlord to provide air-conditioning to residential rental units in apartment buildings with four or more individual dwelling units in a certain manner beginning June 1, 2026, for newly constructed residential rental units and beginning October 1, 2026, for residential rental units that undergo renovation that includes the replacement or substantial upgrade of electrical systems or heating systems; and applying the Act prospectively.

What This Bill Does

Requiring a landlord to provide air-conditioning to residential rental units in apartment buildings with four or more individual dwelling units in a certain manner beginning June 1, 2026, for newly constructed residential rental units and beginning October 1, 2026, for residential rental units that undergo renovation that includes the replacement or substantial upgrade of electrical systems or heating systems; and applying the Act prospectively.

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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

293223/1

None

Conference Committee Report { 293223/1 Adopted

Plain English: HB0153/293223/1 CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT BILL NO.: HB 153 SPONSOR: Delegate Lehman SUBJECT: Residential Rental Apartments - Air- Conditioning Requirement THIRD READING CALENDAR HOUSE NO.

HB0153/293223/1 CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT BILL NO.: HB 153 SPONSOR: Delegate Lehman SUBJECT: Residential Rental Apartments - Air- Conditioning Requirement THIRD READING CALENDAR HOUSE NO.
27 SENATE NO.
35 Hon.
William C.

503024/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 503024/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 153 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, strike beginning with the colon in line 18 down through “LOCATED” in line 19 and substitute “LOCATED”.

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 153 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, strike beginning with the colon in line 18 down through “LOCATED” in line 19 and substitute “LOCATED”.
On pages 1 and 2, strike beginning with the semicolon in line 20 on page 1 down through “INCLUSIVE” in line 5 on page 2.
On page 2, after line 27, insert: “(D) THIS SECTION DOES NOT PRECLUDE A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION FROM ENACTING AND EN FORCING AIR –CONDITIONING REQUIRE MENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL RENTAL U NITS THAT ARE MORE S TRINGENT THAN THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.”.
HB0153/503024/1 BY: Economic Matters Committee

543127/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 543127/1

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 153 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 1, in line 16, strike “FOUR” and substitute “10”.

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 153 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 1, in line 16, strike “FOUR” and substitute “10”.
On page 2, strike beginning with “ THIS” in line 30 down through “ SECTION” in line 33 and substitute “THIS SECTION SHALL PREEMPT AND SUPERSEDE A LOCAL LAW, ORDINANCE, POLICY, OR REGULATION ENACTE D BY A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OR AGENC Y THAT IMPOSES AIR –CONDITIONING REQUIRE MENTS INCONSISTENT WITH THIS SECTION”.
HB0153/543127/1 BY: Judicial Proceedings Committee

Bill History

2026-04-06 Senate
Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings
2026-04-01 House
Conference Committee Report { 293223/1 Adopted
2026-04-01 House
Third Reading Passed (90-30)
2026-03-27 House
Senate Refuses Recede
2026-03-27 House
Senate Conference Committee Appointed (Senators Smith, Waldstreicher and West)
2026-03-26 House
House Refuses Concur Senate Amendments
2026-03-26 House
House Requests Senate Recede
2026-03-26 House
House Conference Committee Appointed (Delegates Amprey, Charkoudian and Wivell)
2026-03-24 Senate
House Refuses Concur Senate Amendments
2026-03-24 Senate
House Requests Senate Recede
2026-03-24 Senate
House Conference Committee Appointed (Delegates Amprey, Charkoudian and Wivell)
2026-03-24 Senate
Senate Refuses Recede
2026-03-24 Senate
Senate Conference Committee Appointed (Senators Smith, Waldstreicher and West)
2026-03-21 Senate
Third Reading Passed (30-11)
2026-03-19 Senate
Favorable with Amendments Adopted
2026-03-19 Senate
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-03-18 Senate
Favorable with Amendments { 543127/1
2026-03-18 Senate
Committee Amendment Adopted
2026-03-18 Senate
Motion Special Order until 4/8 (Senator West) Adopted
2026-03-03 House
Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters
2026-02-24 House
Third Reading Passed (94-35)
2026-02-23 House
Favorable with Amendments { 503024/1 Adopted
2026-02-23 House
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-02-23 Senate
Referred Judicial Proceedings
2026-01-19 House
Hearing 2/05 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-01-14 House
First Reading Economic Matters
2025-10-01 House
Pre-filed
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Economic Matters
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings

Official Summary Text

Requiring a landlord to provide air-conditioning to residential rental units in apartment buildings with four or more individual dwelling units in a certain manner beginning June 1, 2026, for newly constructed residential rental units and beginning October 1, 2026, for residential rental units that undergo renovation that includes the replacement or substantial upgrade of electrical systems or heating systems; and applying the Act prospectively.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0153*

HOUSE BILL 153
C9, N1 6lr1043
HB 339/25 – ENT (PRE–FILED) CF SB 12
By: Delegates Lehman, Pena–Melnyk, Ruth, Stewart, and Terrasa
Requested: October 1, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 23, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Residential Rental Apartments – Air–Conditioning Requirement 2

FOR the purpose of requiring a landlord to provide air –conditioning to certain residential 3
rental units in a certain manner; and generally relating to air –conditioning 4
requirements for residential rental units. 5

BY adding to 6
Article – Real Property 7
Section 8–122 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12

Article – Real Property 13

8–122. 14

(A) (1) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS IN 15
APARTMENT BUILDINGS WITH FOUR OR MORE INDIVIDUAL DWELLING UNITS. 16

(2) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNIT 17
THAT IS: 18
2 HOUSE BILL 153

(I) LOCATED LOCATED ON PROPERTY LISTED O N THE 1
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES; 2

(II) PART OF A HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY 3
DEVELOPMENT BUILT BETWEEN 1940 AND 1950, INCLUSIVE; OR 4

(III) A ROWHOUSE PUBLIC HOUSING UNIT ACQUIRED AND 5
REHABILITATED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY BETWEEN 1960 6
AND 1997, INCLUSIVE. 7

(B) A LANDLORD SHALL PROVI DE AIR –CONDITIONING IN EACH 8
RESIDENTIAL UNIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBS ECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION AS 9
FOLLOWS: 10

(1) BEGINNING JUNE 1, 2026, FOR NEWLY CONSTRUCTE D 11
RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS; AND 12

(2) BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2026, FOR RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS 13
THAT UNDERGO RENOVATION THAT INCLUDES THE REPLACEMENT OR SUBSTANTIAL 14
UPGRADE OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS OR HEATING SYSTEMS. 15

(C) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE N ECESSARY FOR PURPOSE S OF REASONABLE 16
MAINTENANCE AND REPA IR, EACH YEAR FROM JUNE 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, BOTH 17
INCLUSIVE, A LANDLORD SHALL PRO VIDE AIR –CONDITIONING IN EACH 18
RESIDENTIAL UNIT AS FOLLOWS: 19

(1) FOR AN AIR –CONDITIONING SYSTEM THAT IS NOT UNDER THE 20
CONTROL OF THE TENANT, THE LANDLORD SHALL MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE IN 21
THE UNIT AT NOT GREATER THAN 80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AT 3 FEET ABOVE THE 22
FLOOR LEVEL IN EACH HABITABLE SPACE IN THE UNIT; AND 23

(2) FOR AN AIR –CONDITIONING SYSTEM THAT I S UNDER THE 24
CONTROL OF THE TENAN T, THE LANDLORD SHALL E NSURE THAT THE 25
AIR–CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS IN GOOD WORKING O RDER AND IS CAPABLE OF 26
MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE IN THE UNIT AT NOT GREATER THAN 80 DEGREES 27
FAHRENHEIT AT 3 FEET ABOVE THE FLOOR LEVEL IN E ACH HABITABLE SPACE IN 28
THE UNIT. 29

(D) THIS SECTION DOES NOT PRECLUDE A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION FROM 30
ENACTING AND ENFORCING AIR–CONDITIONING REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL 31
RENTAL UNITS THAT AR E MORE STRINGENT THA N THE REQUIREMENTS O F THIS 32
SECTION. 33

HOUSE BILL 153 3

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall be construed to 1
apply only prospectively and may not be applied or interpreted to have any effect on or 2
application to any building construction or renovation for which the building permi t is 3
issued before the effective date of this Act. 4

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 5
1, 2026. 6

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.