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.
*sb0130*
SENATE BILL 130
M3, N1 6lr1507
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 220
By: Senator Henson
Requested: October 30, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 4, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Environment – Water – Individual Unit Meters Submeters 2
FOR the purpose of authorizing the installation of individual unit water meters submeters 3
for certain apartment houses and dwelling units mobile home parks; prohibiting the 4
owner, operator, or manager of an apartment house or a mobile home park , or a 5
contractor hired by the owner, operator, or manager, from imposing certain costs on 6
a unit; requiring each individual unit meter to include a leak detection monitor; 7
authorizing the occupant of a dwelling unit to periodically inspect the leak detection 8
monitor installed for their unit authorizing the owner, operator, or manager of an 9
apartment house or a mobile home park to bill an occupant a certain amount under 10
certain circumstances; prohibiting the owner, operator, or manager of an apartment 11
house or a mobile home park from billing an occupant under certain circumstances ; 12
requiring the owner, operator, or manager of an apartment house or a mobile home 13
park, or a contractor hired by the owner, operator, or manager to maintain certain 14
records; prohibiting unpaid water bills from being treated as unpaid rent in an 15
eviction process; establishing a certain complaint process; requiring certain 16
landlords to use a certain written lease, provide a copy of a water or sewer bill to a 17
tenant within a certain ti me frame, and notify prospective tenants of certain 18
information within a certain time frame; prohibiting certain landlords from 19
requiring a tenant to make certain payments to a third party; and generally relating 20
to individual unit water meters submeters. 21
BY adding to 22
Article – Environment 23
2 SENATE BILL 130
Section 9–1115 1
Annotated Code of Maryland 2
(2014 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 3
BY adding to 4
Article – Real Property 5
Section 8–205.3 6
Annotated Code of Maryland 7
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 8
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 9
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 10
Article – Environment 11
9–1115. 12
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 13
INDICATED. 14
(2) “ADEQUATE RECORDS” INCLUDES: 15
(I) A COPY OF ALL CHARGES THAT THE WATER SERVI CE 16
PROVIDER IMPOSED ON THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR MANAGER OF AN APA RTMENT 17
HOUSE OR A MOBILE HOME PARK IN THE PRECEDING 2 YEARS; 18
(II) THE TOTAL UTILITY COS T IMPOSED ON ALL UNI TS IN THE 19
FACILITY EACH M ONTH FOR THE CURRENT CALENDAR YEAR AND PR EVIOUS 20
CALENDAR YEAR; 21
(III) THE TOTAL REVENUE COL LECTED FROM OCCUPANT S TO 22
PAY THE CHARGES IMPO SED ON THE OWNER , OPERATOR, OR MANAGER BY THE 23
WATER SERVICE PROVIDER EACH MONTH FOR THE CURRENT CALENDAR YEAR AND 24
PREVIOUS CALENDAR YEAR; 25
(IV) AN EXPLANATION OF THE FORMULA USED TO ALLO CATE 26
THE COST OF EACH UNIT’S WATER CONSUMPTION; AND 27
(V) ANY OTHER INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR A TENA NT TO 28
VERIFY A WATER UTILITY BILL. 29
(3) (I) “APARTMENT HOUSE ” MEANS ONE OR MORE BUILDINGS 30
THAT EACH CONTAIN MO RE THAN TWO DWELLING UNITS AND IN WHICH A LL THE 31
DWELLING UNITS ARE O CCUPIED PRIMARILY FOR NONTRANSIENT USE W ITH RENT 32
PAID AT INTERVALS OF 1 WEEK OR LONGER. 33
SENATE BILL 130 3
(II) “APARTMENT HOUSE ” INCLUDES A RESIDENTI AL 1
CONDOMINIUM OR COOPERATIVE, WHETHER THE UNITS AR E RENTED OR OWNER 2
OCCUPIED. 3
(4) “DWELLING UNIT” MEANS PREMISES THAT CONSIST OF ONE OR 4
MORE ROOMS SUITABLE FOR OCCUPANCY AS A R ESIDENCE AND THAT CO NTAIN 5
KITCHEN AND BATHROOM FACILITIES. 6
(5) “INDIVIDUAL UNIT METER SUBMETER” MEANS EQUIPMENT USED 7
TO DETERMINE THE ACT UAL USE OF WATER FOR EACH RESIDENTIAL UNI T IN AN 8
APARTMENT HOUSE OR A MOBILE HOME PARK. 9
(6) “WATER SERVICE PROVIDER” MEANS, AS APPLICABLE: 10
(I) A POLITICAL SUBDIVISIO N THAT PROVIDES WATE R AND 11
SEWERAGE SERVICES UNDER SUBTITLE 7 OF THIS TITLE; 12
(II) A WATER COMPANY, AS DEFINED IN § 1–101 OF THE PUBLIC 13
UTILITIES ARTICLE; OR 14
(III) THE WASHINGTON SUBURBAN SANITARY COMMISSION; OR 15
(IV) A MOBILE HOME PARK. 16
(B) SUBJECT TO THE PROVIS IONS OF THIS SECTION , AND WITH THE 17
APPROVAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 18
AND THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS OR EQUIVALENT LOCAL AUTHORITY, A LOCAL 19
HOUSING AUTHORITY ES TABLISHED UNDER DIVISION II OF THE HOUSING AND 20
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ARTICLE MAY INSTALL I NDIVIDUAL UNIT METERS 21
SUBMETERS FOR ANY COMBINATION OF APARTMENT HOUSES OR DWELLING UNITS. 22
(C) AN OWNER, AN OPERATOR, OR A MANAGER OF AN A PARTMENT HOUSE 23
OR A MOBILE HOME PARK, OR A CONTRACTOR HIRED BY THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR 24
MANAGER, MAY INSTALL AN INDIV IDUAL UNIT METER SUBMETER FOR EACH 25
DWELLING UNIT THAT I S NOT INDIVIDUALLY DIRECTLY METERED FOR WATER TO 26
ALLOCATE FAIRLY THE COST OF EACH UNIT’S WATER CONSUMPTION. 27
(D) (1) AN OWNER , AN OPERATOR , OR A MANAGER OF A N APARTMENT 28
HOUSE OR A MOBILE HOME PAR K, OR A CONTRACTOR HIRE D BY THE OWNER , 29
OPERATOR, OR MANAGER, WHO INSTALLS INDIVID UAL UNIT METERS SUBMETERS 30
UNDER THIS SECTION TO PROVIDE BULK METERED SERVICE MAY NOT IMPOSE ON A 31
UNIT IN THE FACILITY ANY WATER OR SEWERAGE COST EXCEPT THE CHARGES THAT 32
4 SENATE BILL 130
THE WATER SERVICE PROVIDER ACTUALLY IMPOSES ON THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR 1
MANAGER. 2
(2) THE CHARGES IMPOSED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 3
SUBSECTION SHALL BE ALLOCATED AMONG THE UNITS IN PROPORTION TO THE 4
ACTUAL USAGE BY THE UNIT. 5
(3) THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR MANAGER OF AN APARTMENT HOUSE 6
OR A MOBILE HOME PARK, OR A CONTRACTOR HIRED BY THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR 7
MANAGER, MAY NOT IMPOSE ON A UNIT IN THE FACILITY ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED 8
WITH: 9
(I) POOR MAINTENANCE OR L EAKS THAT THE OWNER, 10
OPERATOR, MANAGER, OR CONTRACTOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR; OR 11
(II) COMMON AREA USAGE; OR 12
(III) USAGE IN ANY PART OF A BUILDING THAT IS NOT USED AS A 13
RESIDENTIAL UNIT. 14
(4) THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR MANAGER OF AN APARTMENT HOUSE 15
OR A MOBILE HOME PARK, OR A CONTRACTOR HIRED BY THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR 16
MANAGER, MAY COLLECT AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE CHARGE NOT EXCEEDING $1 PER 17
UNIT PER MONTH TO COVER ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND BILLING. 18
(E) (1) EACH INDIVIDUAL UNIT METER SUBMETER UNDER THIS SECTION 19
IS SUBJ ECT TO THE REGULATIO NS AND STANDARDS THA T THE DEPARTMENT, IN 20
CONSULTATION WITH TH E DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY 21
DEVELOPMENT, ADOPTS FOR THE ACCURACY, TESTING, AND RECORD KEEPING OF 22
INDIVIDUAL UNIT METERS SUBMETERS. 23
(2) REGULATIONS ADOPTED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE AT 24
LEAST AS STRINGENT A S THE REGULATIONS AP PLICABLE TO THE WATE R METERS 25
THAT WATER SERVICE PROVIDERS INSTALL. 26
(F) (1) (I) EACH INDIVIDUAL UNIT METER UNDER THIS SEC TION 27
SHALL INCLUDE A LEAK DETECTION MONITOR. 28
(2) THE OWNER , OPERATOR, OR MANAGER OF THE AP ARTMENT 29
HOUSE, OR A CONTRACTOR HIRED BY THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR MANAGER, SHALL 30
ALLOW THE OCCUPANT O F THE UNIT TO PERIOD ICALLY INSPECT THE L EAK 31
DETECTION MONITOR IN THIS SUBSECTION TH E FOLLOWING WORDS HA VE THE 32
MEANINGS INDICATED. 33
SENATE BILL 130 5
(II) “ACTUAL USAGE ” MEANS USAGE THAT WAS MEASURED 1
WHEN A METER WAS CONSIDERED ACCURATE. 2
(III) “ESTIMATED USAGE ” MEANS THE AVERAGE US AGE BY 3
DWELLING UNITS IN THE SAME APARTMENT HOUSE THAT: 4
1. ARE OF COMPARABLE SIZE; AND 5
2. HAVE A COMPARABLE NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS. 6
(2) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (3) OF THIS SUBSECTION , IF AN 7
INDIVIDUAL SUBMETER DOES NOT PROVIDE ADE QUATE OR ACCURATE DA TA FOR 8
BILLING PURPOSES , THE OWNER , OPERATOR, OR MANAGER OF AN APA RTMENT 9
HOUSE MAY BILL THE OCCUPANT OF THE UNIT: 10
(I) THE AVERAGE COST OF T HE MOST RECENT 3 MONTHS OF 11
ACTUAL USAGE BY THE OCCUPANT OF THE UNIT; OR 12
(II) IF RECORDS OF THE MOS T RECENT 3 MONTHS OF ACTUAL 13
USAGE BY THE OCCUPAN T OF THE UNIT ARE NO T AVAILABLE, THE AVERAGE COST 14
OF THE MOST RECENT 3 MONTHS OF ESTIMATED USAGE. 15
(3) IF AN INDIVIDUAL SUBM ETER HAS NOT BEEN RE PAIRED OR 16
REPLACED FOR TWO CON SECUTIVE BILLING CYC LES, THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR 17
MANAGER OF AN APARTMENT HOUSE MAY NOT BILL THE OCCUPANT OF THAT UNIT 18
UNTIL THE INDIVIDUAL SUBMETER IS REPAIRED OR REPLACED. 19
(G) THE OWNER, OPERATOR, OR MANAGER OF THE APARTMENT HOUSE OR 20
MOBILE HOME PARK , OR A CONTRACTOR HIRE D BY THE OWNER , OPERATOR, OR 21
MANAGER, SHALL: 22
(1) MAINTAIN ADEQUATE REC ORDS REGARDING INDIV IDUAL UNIT 23
METERS SUBMETERS; AND 24
(2) OBTAIN ANY ADDITIONAL RECORDS NEEDED BY AN OCCUPANT OF 25
A UNIT TO VERIFY A WATER BILL; AND 26
(3) ALLOW THE OCCUPANT OF THE UNIT TO INSPECT THE RECORDS 27
DURING REASONABLE BUSINESS HOURS. 28
(H) UNPAID WATER BILLS UN DER THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS 29
UNPAID RENT IN AN EVICTION PROCEEDING. 30
6 SENATE BILL 130
(I) (H) (1) A COMPLAINT BY AN OCCU PANT OF A DWELLING U NIT 1
AGAINST AN OWNER , OPERATOR, OR MANAGER OF AN APA RTMENT HOUSE OR A 2
MOBILE HOME PARK , OR A CONTRACTOR HIRE D BY THE OWNER , OPERATOR, OR 3
MANAGER, UNDER THIS SECTION MAY BE FILED IN THE C OUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY 4
WHERE THE APARTMENT HOUSE OR MOBILE HOME PARK IS LOCATED. 5
(2) A COMPLAINT FILED UNDE R PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 6
SUBSECTION MAY BE HANDLED BY: 7
(I) THE LANDLORD–TENANT COMMISSION, IF ONE EXISTS , OF 8
THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY; 9
(II) THE CONSUMER PROTECTI ON AGENCY, IF ONE EXISTS , OF 10
THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL CORPORATION IF THERE IS NOT A LANDLORD–TENANT 11
COMMISSION IN THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY OR IF THE COMMISSION DOES NOT 12
HAVE JURISDICTION; OR 13
(III) THE CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION OF THE OFFICE OF 14
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, IF THERE IS NOT A CO NSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY IN 15
THE COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY OR THE AGENCY DOES NOT HAVE JURISDICTION.; OR 16
(IV) A PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION. 17
(3) NOTHING IN THIS SUBSE CTION SHALL BE CONST RUED AS 18
PREVENTING ANY STATE AGENCY FROM EXE RCISING ITS AUTHORIT Y REGARDING 19
THE COLLECTION OF OBLIGATIONS ARISING FROM CONSUMER TRANSACTIONS. 20
Article – Real Property 21
8–205.3. 22
(A) IN THIS SECTION, “INDIVIDUAL SUBMETER” HAS THE MEANING STATED 23
IN § 9–1115 OF THE ENVIRONMENT ARTICLE. 24
(B) A LANDLORD THAT REQUIR ES A TENANT TO MAKE PAYMENTS FOR 25
WATER OR SEWER SERVICES MEASURED BY AN INDIVIDUAL SUBMETER TO A THIRD 26
PARTY SHALL: 27
(1) USE A WRITTEN LEASE T HAT PROVIDES NOTICE THAT THE 28
TENANT IS RESPONSIBL E FOR MAKING PAYMENT S FOR THE WATER OR S EWER 29
SERVICES TO THE THIRD PARTY; 30
(2) PROVIDE A COPY OF THE WATER OR SEWER BILL TO THE TENANT 31
NOT LATER THAN 20 DAYS BEFORE PAYMENT OF THE BILL IS DUE; AND 32
SENATE BILL 130 7
(3) BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE INITIAL LEASE , NOTIFY THE 1
PROSPECTIVE TENANT IN WRITING OF: 2
(I) THE TOTAL WATER AND S EWER COSTS BILLED TO THE 3
OCCUPANTS OF THE UNIT IN THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 2 YEARS; OR 4
(II) IF WATER AND SEWER COSTS WERE NOT BILLED TO AN 5
OCCUPANT OF THE UNIT FOR THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 2 YEARS, THE TOTAL 6
WATER AND SEWER COSTS BILLED TO A COMPARABLY SIZED UNIT WITHIN THAT TIME 7
PERIOD. 8
(C) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, A LANDLORD THAT 9
DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF § 9–1115 OF THE ENVIRONMENT ARTICLE 10
MAY NOT REQUIRE A TE NANT TO MAKE PAYMENT S TO A THIRD PARTY F OR WATER 11
OR SEWER SERVICES. 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2026. 14
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.