Consumer Protection - Residential Property Advertisement - Ownership Verification

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.
*hb1456*

HOUSE BILL 1456
I3, N1 6lr2624

By: Delegates Embry, Boyce, Lehman, and Wu
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted with floor amendments
Read second time: March 7, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Consumer Protection – Residential Property Advertisement – Ownership 2
Verification 3

FOR the purpose of prohibiting a commercial entity from publishing or advertising 4
information on certain residential property unless the commercial entity verifies 5
that the person offering the property is the property’s legal owner , or the agent of 6
the legal owner or is exercising a legal remedy to sell the residential property under 7
State law; requiring the commercial entity to maintain the verification for a certain 8
period of time; establishing that a certain publication or advertisement of residential 9
real property for sale or lease made by certain individuals is considered to be verified; 10
requiring a commercial entity that publishes or advertises certain residential 11
property information in violation of this Act to remove the publication or 12
advertisement; establishing that a violation of this Act is an unfair, abusive, or 13
deceptive trade practice subject to enforcement and penalties under the Maryland 14
Consumer Protection Act; and generally relating to the advertisement of residential 15
property. 16

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Commercial Law 18
Section 13–301(14)(xlvii) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2025 Replacement Volume) 21

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 22
Article – Commercial Law 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1456

Section 13–301(14)(xlviii) 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2025 Replacement Volume) 3

BY adding to 4
Article – Commercial Law 5
Section 13–301(14)(xlix) and 14–1330 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2025 Replacement Volume) 8

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 9
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 10

Article – Commercial Law 11

13–301. 12

Unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices include any: 13

(14) Violation of a provision of: 14

(xlvii) Title 14, Subtitle 50 of this article; [or] 15

(xlviii) Section 13–411.1(c)(2) of the Transportation Article; or 16

(XLIX) SECTION 14–1330 OF THIS ARTICLE; OR 17

14–1330. 18

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “COMMERCIAL ENTITY” INCLUDES A SOCIAL ME DIA 19
PLATFORM. 20

(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY FOR LEASE 21
OR SALE THAT IS LOCATED IN THE STATE. 22

(C) A COMMERCIAL ENTITY MA Y NOT PUBLISH OR ADV ERTISE 23
INFORMATION ON RESID ENTIAL PROPERTY AVAI LABLE FOR LEASE OR S ALE ON 24
BEHALF OF ANOTHER UN LESS THE COMMERCIAL ENTITY VERIFIES THAT THE 25
PERSON OFFERING THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY FOR LEASE OR SALE IS: 26

(1) THE LEGAL OWNER OF THE PROPERTY; OR 27

(2) AN AGENT OF THE LEGAL OWNER OF THE PROPERTY; OR 28

HOUSE BILL 1456 3

(3) EXERCISING A LEGAL RE MEDY TO SELL THE RES IDENTIAL 1
PROPERTY UNDER STATE LAW. 2

(C) (D) A COMMERCIAL ENTITY SHALL MAINTAIN A VERIFICATION UNDER 3
SUBSECTION (B) (C) OF THIS SECTION FOR AT LEAST 3 YEARS. 4

(D) (E) IF A LICENSED REAL ES TATE AGENT , BROKER, OR ASSOCIATE 5
BROKER PUBLISHES OR ADVERTISES RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY FOR SALE OR 6
LEASE, THE PUBLICATION OR ADVERTISEMENT SHALL BE CONSIDERED VERIFIED IF 7
THE PUBLICATION OR ADVERTISEMENT: 8

(1) WAS MADE BY THE AGENT, BROKER, OR ASSOCIATE BROKER ON A 9
WEBSITE OR MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE; OR 10

(2) IS REPUBLISHED WITH C ONSENT OF THE AGENT , BROKER, OR 11
ASSOCIATE BROKER. 12

(F) A COMMERCIAL ENTITY TH AT PUBLISHES OR ADVE RTISES 13
INFORMATION IN VIOLA TION OF SUBSECTION (B) (C) OF THIS SECTION SHAL L 14
PROMPTLY REMOVE THE PUBLICATION OR ADVERTISEMENT. 15

(E) (G) A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION IS: 16

(1) AN UNFAIR , ABUSIVE, OR DECEPTIVE TRADE P RACTICE WITHIN 17
THE MEANING OF TITLE 13 OF THIS ARTICLE; AND 18

(2) SUBJECT TO THE ENFORC EMENT AND PENALTY PR OVISIONS 19
CONTAINED IN TITLE 13 OF THIS ARTICLE. 20

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 21
October 1, 2026. 22

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