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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.
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*sb0438*
SENATE BILL 438
I4 (6lr2438)
ENROLLED BILL
— Finance/Economic Matters —
Introduced by Senators Jackson and Hershey
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
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
2 SENATE BILL 438
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Article – Commercial Law 2
Section 18–501 and, 18–502, and 18–503 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2025 Replacement Volume) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Commercial Law 8
18–501. 9
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 10
(b) “Default” means the failure to perform on time any obligation or duty set forth 11
in the rental agreement. 12
(c) “Last known address” means that address or electronic mail address provided 13
by the occupant in the rental agreement or the address or electronic mail address provided 14
by the occupant in a subsequent written notice of a change of address. 15
(d) “Leased space” means the individual storage space at the self –service facility 16
which is rented to an occupant pursuant to a rental agreement. 17
(e) “Occupant” means a person, a sublessee, successor, or assign, entitled to the 18
use of a leased space at a self–service storage facility under a rental agreement. 19
(f) (1) “Operator” means the owner, operator, lessor, or sublessor of a 20
self–service storage facility, an agent, or any other person authorized to manage the facility. 21
(2) “Operator” does not include a warehouseman, unless the operator 22
issues a warehouse receipt, bill of lading, or other document of title for the personal 23
property stored. 24
(g) (1) “Personal property” means movable property, not affixed to land. 25
(2) “Personal property” includes goods, wares, merchandise, motor 26
vehicles, watercraft, and household items and furnishings. 27
(h) “Rental agreement” means any written OR ELECTRONIC agreement that 28
establishes or modifies the terms, conditions, or rules concerning the use and occupancy of 29
a self–service storage facility. 30
SENATE BILL 438 3
(i) “Self–service storage facility” means any real property used for renting or 1
leasing individual storage spaces in which the occupants themselves customarily store and 2
remove their own personal property on a “self–service” basis. 3
(j) “Verified mail” means any method of mailing that is offered by the United 4
States Postal Service or private delivery service that provides evidence of mailing. 5
18–502. 6
(a) An operator may not knowingly permit a leased space at a self–service storage 7
facility to be used for residential purposes. 8
(b) An occupant may not use a leased space for residential purposes. 9
(C) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION SUBSECTIONS (D) AND (E) 10
OF THIS SECTION, AN OCCUPANT MAY NOT USE A SELF–SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY 11
BEYOND THE TERM OF A RENTAL AGREEMENT AFTER THE OPERATOR OR OCCUPANT 12
HAS DELIVERED IN PERSON, BY E–MAIL, OR BY VERIFIED MAIL WRITTEN NOTICE OF 13
THE NONRENEWAL OF THE RENTAL AGREEMENT. 14
(2) IF AN OPERATOR NOTIFIES THE OCCUPANT OF THE NONRENEWAL 15
BY E –MAIL AT THE OCCUPANT ’S LAST KNOWN E –MAIL ADDRESS AND DOE S NOT 16
RECEIVE A RESPONSE S ENT FROM THE OCCUPAN T’S E –MAIL ADDRESS OR A 17
CONFIRMATION OF DELI VERY WITHIN 5 DAYS AFTER DELIVERY , THE OPERATOR 18
SHALL PROMPTLY SEND A SECOND NOTICE OF NONRENEWAL TO THE OCCUPANT BY 19
VERIFIED MAIL TO THE OCCUPANT’S LAST KNOWN POSTAL ADDRESS. 20
(D) THE OPERATOR SHALL PROVIDE THE OCCUPANT WITH NOT LESS THAN 21
30 DAYS AFTER DELIVERY OF THE NOTICE OF THE NONRENEWAL OF THE RENTAL 22
AGREEMENT AND AT LEA ST UNTIL THE END OF THE TERM OF THE RENT AL 23
AGREEMENT TO REMOVE ALL PERSONAL PROPERT Y FROM THE SELF –SERVICE 24
STORAGE FACILITY. 25
(E) (1) THE OPERATOR MAY NOT DISPOSE OF ANY PERSONAL PROPERTY 26
REMAINING AT THE SEL F–SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY 10 DAYS UNTIL AFTER THE 27
TIME ALLOTTED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION AND PARAGRAPH (2) OF 28
THIS SUBSECTION HAS ELAPSED. 29
(2) AT AFTER THE TIME ALLOTTED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS 30
SECTION HAS ELAPSED AND AT LEAST 10 DAYS BEFORE DISPO SING OF THE 31
PERSONAL PROPERTY REMAINING AT THE SELF –SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY, THE 32
OPERATOR SHALL DELIVER IN PERSON, BY E–MAIL, OR BY VERIFIED MAIL A NOTICE 33
OF INTENT TO DISPOSE OF THE OCCUPANT’S PROPERTY. 34
4 SENATE BILL 438
(3) IF AN OPERATOR NOTIFI ES THE OCCUPANT OF T HE INTENT TO 1
DISPOSE OF THE PROPE RTY BY E –MAIL AT THE OCCUPANT ’S LAST KNOWN E –MAIL 2
ADDRESS AND DOES NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE S ENT FROM THE OCCUPAN T’S 3
E–MAIL ADDRESS OR A CO NFIRMATION OF DELIVE RY WITHIN 5 DAYS AFTER 4
DELIVERY, THE OPERATOR SHALL P ROMPTLY SEND A SECON D NOTICE OF INTENT 5
TO DISPOSE TO THE OCCUPANT BY VERIFIED MAIL TO THE OCCUPANT’S LAST KNOWN 6
POSTAL ADDRESS. 7
18–503. 8
(a) The operator of a self –service storage facility has a lien on all personal 9
property stored within each leased space for rent, labor, or other charges, and for expenses 10
reasonably incurred in its sale, as provided in this subtitle. 11
(b) The rental agreement shall contain a statement, in bold type, advising the 12
occupant: 13
(1) Of the existence of the lien; 14
(2) That personal property stored in the leased space may be sold to satisfy 15
the lien if the occupant is in default; 16
(3) That personal property stored in the leased space may be towed or 17
removed from the self–service storage facility if: 18
(i) The personal property is a motor vehicle or watercraft; and 19
(ii) The occupant is in default for more than 60 days; and 20
(4) That a sale of personal property stored in the leased space to satisfy the 21
lien if the occupant is in default shall be advertised: 22
(i) In a newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction where 23
the sale is to be held; 24
(ii) By electronic mail; or 25
(iii) On an online website.; AND 26
(5) THAT IF THE OPERATOR DOES NOT RENEW THE R ENTAL 27
AGREEMENT, THE OPERATOR SHALL , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 18–502 OF THIS 28
SUBTITLE, DELIVER WRITTEN NOTI CE ADVISING THE OCCU PANT TO REMOVE ALL 29
PERSONAL PROPERTY FROM THE SELF –SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY BY THE DATE 30
STATED IN THE NOTICE. 31
SENATE BILL 438 5
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2026. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.