SB0012 • 2026

Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement

Housing

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Senator West
Last action: 2026-05-26
Official status: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 664
Effective date: 2026-06-01

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details on temperature requirements or the exact wording of preemptive measures against local government regulations, which were removed accordingly.

Air-Conditioning Requirement for Apartment Rentals

This law requires landlords to provide air-conditioning in certain apartment buildings with ten or more units, starting from June 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

Requires landlords to install air-conditioning systems in newly built rental apartments starting June 1, 2026.
Requires existing rental apartments to have air-conditioning if they undergo major renovations involving electrical or heating system upgrades by October 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

Landlords who own rental apartments with ten or more units.
Tenants living in apartment buildings that are covered by this law.

Terms To Know

Prospectively: The law only applies to future situations and does not change anything that happened before the law was passed.
Preempt: This state law stops local governments from making their own rules about air-conditioning in apartments.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not apply to historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Some specific housing units in Baltimore City built or rehabilitated between certain years are also exempted.
This law only applies to apartment buildings with ten or more individual dwelling units.

Amendments

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

293522/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 293522/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 12 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, in line 16, strike “ FOUR” and substitute “10”; and strike beginning with the colon in line 18 down through “ LOCATED” in line 19 and substitute “LOCATED”.

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 12 (First Reading File Bill) On page 1, in line 16, strike “ FOUR” and substitute “10”; and 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 SHALL PREEMPT AND SU PERSEDE A LOCAL LAW , ORDINANCE, POLICY, OR REGULATION ENACTE D BY A POLITICAL SUB DIVISION OR AGENCY THAT IMPOSES AIR–CONDITIONING REQUIREMENTS INCONSISTENT WITH THIS SECTION.”.
SB0012/293522/1 BY: Judicial Proceedings Committee

393224/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 393224/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 12 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 12, strike “ AND”; in line 13, after “(2)” insert “ BEGINNING JUNE 1, 2026, FOR RESIDENTIAL RENT AL UNITS WHERE , AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2025: (I) THE LANDLORD EQUIPPED THE UNIT WITH AIR – CONDITIONING OR PROVIDED AIR–CONDITIONING; OR (II) A LEASE REQUIRED THE L ANDLORD TO PROVIDE AIR – CONDITIONING FOR THE UNIT; AND (3)”; and strike in their entirety lines 30 through 33, inclusive.

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 12 (Third Reading File Bill) On page 2, in line 12, strike “ AND”; in line 13, after “(2)” insert “ BEGINNING JUNE 1, 2026, FOR RESIDENTIAL RENT AL UNITS WHERE , AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2025: (I) THE LANDLORD EQUIPPED THE UNIT WITH AIR – CONDITIONING OR PROVIDED AIR–CONDITIONING; OR (II) A LEASE REQUIRED THE L ANDLORD TO PROVIDE AIR – CONDITIONING FOR THE UNIT; AND (3)”; and strike in their entirety lines 30 through 33, inclusive.
SB0012/393224/1 BY: Economic Matters Committee

Bill History

2026-05-26 Post Passage
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 664
2026-04-09 House
Favorable with Amendments Report by Economic Matters
2026-04-02 House
Hearing canceled
2026-04-02 House
Hearing 4/02 at 1:30 p.m.
2026-04-02 House
Hearing canceled
2026-04-02 House
Hearing 4/02 at 2:30 p.m.
2026-03-30 House
Third Reading Passed (101-34)
2026-03-27 Senate
Senate Concurs House Amendments
2026-03-27 Senate
Third Reading Passed (35-11)
2026-03-27 Senate
Passed Enrolled
2026-03-24 House
Hearing 4/02 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-23 House
Favorable with Amendments { 393224/1 Adopted
2026-03-23 House
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-03-18 Senate
Favorable with Amendments Report by Judicial Proceedings
2026-03-07 House
Referred Economic Matters
2026-03-03 Senate
Third Reading Passed (33-11)
2026-03-02 Senate
Favorable with Amendments { 293522/1 Adopted
2026-03-02 Senate
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-01-14 Senate
First Reading Judicial Proceedings
2026-01-13 Senate
Hearing 1/20 at 1:00 p.m.
2025-10-20 Senate
Pre-filed
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Judicial Proceedings
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Economic Matters
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Enrolled - Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Chapter - Residential Rental Apartments - Air-Conditioning Requirement

Official Summary Text

Requiring a landlord to provide air-conditioning to residential rental units in apartment buildings with 10 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.
Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.
*sb0012*

SENATE BILL 12
C9, N1 (6lr1257)
ENROLLED BILL
— Judicial Proceedings/Economic Matters —
Introduced by Senator West

Read and Examined by Proofreaders:

_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.

Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this

_______ day of _______________ at _________________ _______ o’clock, ________M.

______________________________________________
President.

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

2 SENATE BILL 12

Article – Real Property 1

8–122. 2

(A) (1) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS IN 3
APARTMENT BUILDINGS WITH FOUR 10 OR MORE INDIVIDUAL DWELLING UNITS. 4

(2) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNIT 5
THAT IS: 6

(I) LOCATED LOCATED ON PROPERTY LISTED O N THE 7
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES; 8

(II) PART OF A HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY 9
DEVELOPMENT BUILT BETWEEN 1940 AND 1950, INCLUSIVE; OR 10

(III) A ROWHOUSE PUBLIC HOUS ING UNIT ACQUIRED AN D 11
REHABILITATED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY BETWEEN 1960 12
AND 1997, INCLUSIVE. 13

(B) A LANDLORD SHALL PROVI DE AIR –CONDITIONING IN EACH 14
RESIDENTIAL UNIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBS ECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION AS 15
FOLLOWS: 16

(1) BEGINNING JUNE 1, 2026, FOR NEWLY CONSTRUCTE D 17
RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS; AND 18

(2) BEGINNING JUNE 1, 2026, FOR RESIDENTIAL RENT AL UNITS 19
WHERE, AT ANY TIME ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2025: 20

(I) THE LANDLORD EQUIPPED THE UNIT WITH 21
AIR–CONDITIONING OR PROVIDED AIR–CONDITIONING; OR 22

(II) A LEASE REQUIRED THE L ANDLORD TO PROVIDE 23
AIR–CONDITIONING FOR THE UNIT; AND 24

(3) BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2026, FOR RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS 25
THAT UNDERGO RENOVATION THAT INCLUDES THE REPLACEMENT OR SUBSTANTIAL 26
UPGRADE OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS OR HEATING SYSTEMS. 27

(C) EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE N ECESSARY FOR PURPOSE S OF REASONABLE 28
MAINTENANCE AND REPA IR, EACH YEAR FROM JUNE 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, BOTH 29
INCLUSIVE, A LANDLORD SHALL PRO VIDE AIR –CONDITIONING IN EACH 30
RESIDENTIAL UNIT AS FOLLOWS: 31
SENATE BILL 12 3

(1) FOR AN AIR –CONDITIONING SYSTEM THAT IS NOT U NDER THE 1
CONTROL OF THE TENANT, THE LANDLORD SHALL MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE IN 2
THE UNIT AT NOT GREATER THAN 80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AT 3 FEET ABOVE THE 3
FLOOR LEVEL IN EACH HABITABLE SPACE IN THE UNIT; AND 4

(2) FOR AN AIR –CONDITIONING SY STEM THAT IS UNDER T HE 5
CONTROL OF THE TENAN T, THE LANDLORD SHALL E NSURE THAT THE 6
AIR–CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS IN GOOD WORKING O RDER AND IS CAPABLE OF 7
MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE IN THE UNIT AT NOT GREATER THAN 80 DEGREES 8
FAHRENHEIT AT 3 FEET ABOVE THE FLOOR LEVEL IN EACH HABITA BLE SPACE IN 9
THE UNIT. 10

(D) THIS SECTION SHALL PR EEMPT AND SUPERSEDE A LOCAL LAW , 11
ORDINANCE, POLICY, OR REGULATION ENACTED BY A POLITICAL SUB DIVISION OR 12
AGENCY THAT IMPOSES AIR–CONDITIONING REQUIREMENTS INCONSISTENT W ITH 13
THIS SECTION. 14

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall be construed to 15
apply only prospectively and may not be applied or interpreted to have any effect on or 16
application to any building construction or renovation for which the building permit is 17
issued before the effective date of this Act. 18

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 19
1, 2026. 20

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