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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.
*hb0618*
HOUSE BILL 618
I4 6lr2398
CF SB 438
By: Delegate A. Johnson
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Commercial Law – Self–Service Storage Facilities – Alterations 2
FOR the purpose of providing for the use of an electronic rental agreement in the rental of 3
self–service storage facilities; prohibiting an occupant from using the occupant’s 4
self–service storage facility beyond the term of a rental agreement after delive ry of 5
a notice of nonrenewal; requiring an operator to give an occupant a certain number 6
of days after delivery of a notice of nonrenewal to remove the occupant’s personal 7
property from the self–service storage facility; authorizing an operator to dispose of 8
an occupant’s remaining personal property after a certain amount of time has 9
elapsed; requiring an operator to give an occupant notice of intent to dispose of the 10
occupant’s personal property a certain number of days before the operator disposes 11
of that personal property; requiring an operator to include a certain statement in a 12
rental agreement concerning the removal of personal property from the self –service 13
storage facility after nonrenewal of the rental agreement; and generally relating to 14
self–service storage facilities. 15
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 16
Article – Commercial Law 17
Section 18–501 and, 18–502, and 18–503 18
Annotated Code of Maryland 19
(2025 Replacement Volume) 20
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 21
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 22
2 HOUSE BILL 618
Article – Commercial Law 1
18–501. 2
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 3
(b) “Default” means the failure to perform on time any obligation or duty set forth 4
in the rental agreement. 5
(c) “Last known address” means that address or electronic mail address provided 6
by the occupant in the rental agreement or the address or electronic mail address provided 7
by the occupant in a subsequent written notice of a change of address. 8
(d) “Leased space” means the individual storage space at the self –service facility 9
which is rented to an occupant pursuant to a rental agreement. 10
(e) “Occupant” means a person, a sublessee, successor, or assign, entitled to the 11
use of a leased space at a self–service storage facility under a rental agreement. 12
(f) (1) “Operator” means the owner, operator, lessor, or sublessor of a 13
self–service storage facility, an agent, or any other person authorized to manage the facility. 14
(2) “Operator” does not include a warehouseman, unless the operator 15
issues a warehouse receipt, bill of lading, or other document of title for the personal 16
property stored. 17
(g) (1) “Personal property” means movable property, not affixed to land. 18
(2) “Personal property” inclu des goods, wares, merchandise, motor 19
vehicles, watercraft, and household items and furnishings. 20
(h) “Rental agreement” means any written OR ELECTRONIC agreement that 21
establishes or modifies the terms, conditions, or rules concerning the use and occupancy of 22
a self–service storage facility. 23
(i) “Self–service storage facility” means any real property used for renting or 24
leasing individual storage spaces in which the occupants themselves customarily store and 25
remove their own personal property on a “self–service” basis. 26
(j) “Verified mail” means any method of mailing that is offered by the United 27
States Postal Service or private delivery service that provides evidence of mailing. 28
18–502. 29
(a) An operator may not knowingly permit a leased space at a self–service storage 30
facility to be used for residential purposes. 31
HOUSE BILL 618 3
(b) An occupant may not use a leased space for residential purposes. 1
(C) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION SUBSECTIONS (D) AND (E) 2
OF THIS SECTION, AN OCCUPANT MAY NOT USE A SELF–SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY 3
BEYOND THE TERM OF A RENTAL AGREEMENT AFTER THE OPERATOR OR OCCUPANT 4
HAS DELIVERED IN PERSON, BY E–MAIL, OR BY VERIFIED MAIL WRITTEN NOTICE OF 5
THE NONRENEWAL OF THE RENTAL AGREEMENT. 6
(2) IF AN OPERATOR NOTIFIES THE OCCUPANT OF THE NONRENEWAL 7
BY E –MAIL AT THE OCCUPANT ’S LAST KNOWN E –MAIL ADDRESS AND DOE S NOT 8
RECEIVE A RESPONSE S ENT FROM THE OCCUPAN T’S E –MAIL ADDRESS OR A 9
CONFIRMATION OF DELI VERY WITHIN 5 DAYS AFTER DELIVERY , THE OPE RATOR 10
SHALL PROMPTLY SEND A SECOND NOTICE OF NONRENEWAL TO THE OCCUPANT BY 11
VERIFIED MAIL TO THE OCCUPANT’S LAST KNOWN POSTAL ADDRESS. 12
(D) THE OPERATOR SHALL PROVIDE THE OCCUPANT WITH NOT LESS THAN 13
30 DAYS AFTER DELIVERY OF THE NOTICE OF THE NONRENEWAL OF THE RENTAL 14
AGREEMENT AND AT LEA ST UNTIL THE END OF THE TERM OF THE RENT AL 15
AGREEMENT TO REMOVE ALL PERSONAL PROPERT Y FROM THE SELF –SERVICE 16
STORAGE FACILITY. 17
(E) (1) THE OPERATOR MAY NOT DISPOSE OF ANY PERSONAL PROPERTY 18
REMAINING AT THE SEL F–SERVICE STORA GE FACILITY UNTIL AFTER THE TIME 19
ALLOTTED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION AND PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS 20
SUBSECTION HAS ELAPSED. 21
(2) AT AFTER THE TIME ALLOTTED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS 22
SECTION HAS ELAPSED AND AT LEAST 10 DAYS BEFORE DISPOSIN G OF THE 23
PERSONAL PROPERTY REMAINING AT THE SELF –SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY, THE 24
OPERATOR SHALL DELIVER IN PERSON, BY E–MAIL, OR BY VERIFIED MAIL A NOTICE 25
OF INTENT TO DISPOSE OF THE OCCUPANT’S PROPERTY. 26
(3) IF AN OPERATOR NO TIFIES THE OCCUPANT OF THE INTENT TO 27
DISPOSE OF THE PROPE RTY BY E –MAIL AT THE OCCUPANT ’S LAST KNOWN E –MAIL 28
ADDRESS AND DOES NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE S ENT FROM THE OCCUPAN T’S 29
E–MAIL ADDRESS OR A CO NFIRMATION OF DELIVE RY WITHIN 5 DAYS AFTER 30
DELIVERY, THE OPERATOR SHALL PROMPTLY SEND A SECOND NOTICE OF INTENT 31
TO DISPOSE TO THE OCCUPANT BY VERIFIED MAIL TO THE OCCUPANT’S LAST KNOWN 32
POSTAL ADDRESS. 33
18–503. 34
4 HOUSE BILL 618
(a) The operator of a self –service storage facility has a lien on all personal 1
property stored within each leased space for rent, labor, or other charges, and for expenses 2
reasonably incurred in its sale, as provided in this subtitle. 3
(b) The rental agreement shall contain a statement, in bold type, advising the 4
occupant: 5
(1) Of the existence of the lien; 6
(2) That personal property stored in the leased space may be sold to satisfy 7
the lien if the occupant is in default; 8
(3) That personal property stored in the leased space may be towed or 9
removed from the self–service storage facility if: 10
(i) The personal property is a motor vehicle or watercraft; and 11
(ii) The occupant is in default for more than 60 days; [and] 12
(4) That a sale of personal property stored in the leased space to satisfy the 13
lien if the occupant is in default shall be advertised: 14
(i) In a newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction where 15
the sale is to be held; 16
(ii) By electronic mail; or 17
(iii) On an online website; AND 18
(5) THAT IF THE OPERATOR DOES NOT RENEW THE R ENTAL 19
AGREEMENT, THE OPERATOR SHALL , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 18–502 OF THIS 20
SUBTITLE, DELIVER WRITTEN NOTI CE ADVISING THE OCCU PANT TO REMOVE ALL 21
PERSONAL PROPERTY FROM THE SELF –SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY BY THE DATE 22
STATED IN THE NOTICE. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October July 1, 2026. 25