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HB1577 • 2026

Common Ownership Communities - Common Areas - Approval of Alterations

Common Ownership Communities - Common Areas - Approval of Alterations

Housing
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Delegate Ross
Last action
2026-02-17
Official status
In the House - Hearing 3/13 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date
2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

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

Common Ownership Communities - Common Areas - Approval of Alterations

Prohibiting the governing body of a cooperative housing corporation, condominium, or homeowners association from making certain alterations to a common area without the approval of a majority of certain members, unit owners, or lot owners.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibiting the governing body of a cooperative housing corporation, condominium, or homeowners association from making certain alterations to a common area without the approval of a majority of certain members, unit owners, or lot owners.

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

  1. 2026-02-17 House

    Hearing 3/13 at 1:00 p.m.

  2. 2026-02-13 House

    First Reading Economic Matters

  3. Maryland General Assembly

    Text - First - Common Ownership Communities - Common Areas - Approval of Alterations

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting the governing body of a cooperative housing corporation, condominium, or homeowners association from making certain alterations to a common area without the approval of a majority of certain members, unit owners, or lot owners.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1577*

HOUSE BILL 1577
N1, C1 6lr3501

By: Delegate Ross
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Economic Matters

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Common Ownership Communities – Common Areas – Approval of Alterations 2

FOR the purpose of prohibiting the governing body of a cooperative housing corporation, 3
condominium, or homeowners association from making certain alterations to a 4
common area without the approval of a majority of certain members, unit owners, or 5
lot owners ; and generally relating to the common areas of a common ownership 6
community. 7

BY adding to 8
Article – Corporations and Associations 9
Section 5–6B–23.3 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2025 Replacement Volume) 12

BY adding to 13
Article – Real Property 14
Section 11–108.3 and 11B–106.3 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 17

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19

Article – Corporations and Associations 20

5–6B–23.3. 21

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “COMMON ELEMENT ” MEANS ANY AREA IN A 22
COOPERATIVE HOUSING CORPORATION IN WHICH MEMBERS HAVE A POSSE SSORY 23
INTEREST IN COMMON. 24
2 HOUSE BILL 1577

(B) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO: 1

(1) THE ORDINARY MAINTENANCE OR NECESSARY REPAIR OR 2
REPLACEMENT OF A COMMON ELEMENT; OR 3

(2) ANY MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, OR REPLACEMENT REQUE ST THAT 4
DOES NOT EXCEED $1,000. 5

(C) THE GOVERNING BODY OF A COOPERATIVE HOU SING CORPORATION 6
MAY NOT RENOVATE, EXPAND, UPGRADE, OR OTHERWISE SUBSTANTIALLY ALTER A 7
COMMON ELEMENT WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS. 8

(D) THE APPROVAL OF A MAJ ORITY OF MEMBERS REQ UIRED UNDER 9
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION MAY BE OBTAINED BY ANY MEANS TO WHICH ALL 10
MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS. 11

Article – Real Property 12

11–108.3. 13

(A) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO: 14

(1) THE ORDINARY MAINTENANCE OR NECESSARY REPAIR OR 15
REPLACEMENT OF A COMMON ELEMENT; OR 16

(2) ANY MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, OR REPLACEMENT REQUE ST THAT 17
DOES NOT EXCEED $1,000. 18

(B) THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS O R OTHER GOVERNING BODY OF A 19
CONDOMINIUM MAY NOT RENOVATE, EXPAND, UPGRADE, OR OTHERWISE 20
SUBSTANTIALLY ALTER A COMMON ELEME NT WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF A 21
MAJORITY OF THE UNIT OWNERS IN GOOD STANDING. 22

(C) THE APPROVAL OF A MAJ ORITY OF UNIT OWNERS REQUIRED UNDER 23
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION MAY BE OBTAINED BY ANY MEANS TO WHICH ALL 24
UNIT OWNERS HAVE ACCESS. 25

11B–106.3. 26

(A) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO: 27

(1) THE ORDINARY MAINTENANCE OR NECESSARY REPAIR OR 28
REPLACEMENT OF COMMON AREAS; OR 29
HOUSE BILL 1577 3

(2) ANY MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, OR REPLACEMENT REQUE ST THAT 1
DOES NOT EXCEED $1,000. 2

(B) THE GOVERNING BODY OF A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIA TION MAY NOT 3
RENOVATE, EXPAND, UPGRADE, OR OTHERWISE SUBSTAN TIALLY ALTER COMMON 4
AREAS OF THE HOMEOWNERS AS SOCIATION WITHOUT TH E APPROVAL OF A 5
MAJORITY OF THE LOT OWNERS IN GOOD STANDING. 6

(C) THE APPROVAL OF A MAJ ORITY OF LOT OWNERS REQUIRED UNDER 7
SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION MAY BE OBTAINED BY ANY MEANS TO WHICH ALL 8
LOT OWNERS HAVE ACCESS. 9

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
October 1, 2026. 11