Real Property - Mobile Home Parks - Rent Limitations

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0998*

SENATE BILL 998
N1 6lr3570

By: Senator Jennings
Introduced and read first time: February 23, 2026
Assigned to: Rules

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Real Property – Mobile Home Parks – Rent Limitations 2

FOR the purpose of prohibiting the park owner of a mobile home park from increasing 3
certain rent more than a certain percentage annually unless authorized by the 4
Department of Housing and Community Development under certain circumstances; 5
establishing certain procedures and requirements for a petition by a park owner to 6
the Department for a certain rent increase and for the consideration, approval, or 7
denial of a petition by the Department; prohibiting a park owner from taking certain 8
retaliatory actions against a resident; authorizing the Department and the Attorney 9
General to take certain actions for a violation of this Act; and generally relating to 10
mobile home park rent. 11

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
Article – Real Property 13
Section 8A–101(a), (c), (d), (f), (h), and (j) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

BY adding to 17
Article – Real Property 18
Section 8A–4A–01 and 8A–4A–02 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 4A. Rent” 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23

Article – Real Property 24

8A–101. 25

2 SENATE BILL 998

(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 1

(c) (1) “Mobile home” means a structure: 2

(i) Transportable in one or more sections; 3

(ii) 8 or more body feet in width and 30 or more body feet in length; 4

(iii) Built on a permanent chassis; and 5

(iv) Designed to be used as a dwelling, with or without a permanent 6
foundation, when connected to the required utilities. 7

(2) “Mobile home” includes the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and 8
electrical systems contained in the structure. 9

(d) “Park” means any property leased or held out for lease to two or more residents 10
or prospective residents. 11

(f) “Park owner” means any person who has interest in the park and includes any 12
person acting as the agent of a park owner as to the managerial or operations acts taken 13
as the agent of the owner. 14

(h) “Rent” means any money or other consideration given for the right of use, 15
possession, and occupancy of the premises. 16

(j) (1) “Resident” means a mobile home owner who leases o r rents a site for 17
residential use and resides in a mobile home park. 18

(2) “Resident” includes a person who maintains a permanent residence 19
with the mobile home owner, and who obtains title to the mobile home after the death of 20
the owner under the terms of a will or by operation of law. 21

SUBTITLE 4A. RENT. 22

8A–4A–01. 23

(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 24
INDICATED. 25

(B) “DEPARTMENT” MEANS THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 26
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 27

(C) “EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSE ” MEANS A NONRECURRING COST 28
INCURRED BY A PARK OWNER, INCLUDING A COST RESULTING FROM: 29

SENATE BILL 998 3

(1) MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS; 1

(2) UTILITY SYSTEM FAILURES; AND 2

(3) GOVERNMENT–MANDATED IMPROVEMENTS. 3

8A–4A–02. 4

(A) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED I N SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION, A PARK 5
OWNER MAY NOT INCREASE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ANNUAL RENT FOR A SITE FOR 6
AN EXISTING RESIDENT BY MORE THAN THE LESSER OF: 7

(1) THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR ALL 8
URBAN CONSUMERS, UNITED STATES CITY AVERAGE; OR 9

(2) AN AMOUNT NOT EXCEEDING 4% OF THE PREVIOUS ANNUAL RENT 10
FOR THE SITE. 11

(B) (1) A PARK OWNER MAY PETITION THE DEPARTMENT FOR APPROVAL 12
OF AN INCREASE IN EX CESS OF THE LIMITATI ON UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 13
SECTION IF THE INCREASE IS NECE SSARY TO PAY FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY 14
EXPENSE. 15

(2) A PETITION FILED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION 16
SHALL: 17

(I) BE SUBMITTED ON A FORM AND IN A MANNER PRESCRIBED 18
BY THE DEPARTMENT; 19

(II) INCLUDE A WRITTEN EXPLANATION OF THE 20
EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSE; 21

(III) INCLUDE D OCUMENTATION SUPPORT ING THE CLAIMED 22
EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSE; AND 23

(IV) PROVIDE A CALCULATION DEMONSTR ATING WHY THE 24
PROPOSED INCREASE IS NECESSARY. 25

(C) A PARK OWNER SHALL PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE REQUESTED 26
RENT INCREASE TO RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY A PROPOSED RENT INCREASE AT THE 27
TIME THE PETITION IS FILED WITH THE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING: 28

(1) A COPY OF THE PETITION; AND 29
4 SENATE BILL 998

(2) INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMMENT PERIOD REQUIRED 1
UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION. 2

(D) (1) ON RECEIPT OF A PETIT ION UNDER SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS 3
SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL: 4

(I) PROVIDE A 45–DAY COMMENT PERIOD FOR AFFECTED 5
RESIDENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES OF A RECOGNIZED HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION 6
TO SUBMIT COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED INCREASE; 7

(II) CONSIDER ANY COMMENT RE CEIVED BY AFFECTED 8
RESIDENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES OF A RECOGNIZED HOMEO WNERS ASSOCIATION 9
WHEN MAKING A DECISION TO APPROV E OR DENY A REQUESTED RENT INCREASE; 10
AND 11

(III) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , 12
APPROVE OR DENY A REQUESTED RENT INCREASE AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AFTER 13
THE CLOSE OF THE COMMENT PERIOD. 14

(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ISSUE A DECISION UNDER PARAGRAPH 15
(1) OF THIS SUBSECTION WITHIN 120 DAYS AFTER THE RECEIPT OF A PETITION. 16

(3) A PARK OWNER MAY NOT I MPLEMENT A RENT INCREASE 17
APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION 18
EARLIER THAN 120 DAYS AFTER THE DATE THE PARK OWNER FILED THE PETITION 19
WITH THE DEPARTMENT. 20

(E) A PARK OWNER MAY NOT I MPOSE A RENT INCREAS E ON A RESIDENT 21
BECAUSE THE RESIDENT HAS: 22

(1) PARTICIPATED IN A HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION; 23

(2) FILED A COMPLAINT WITH A GOVERNMENT AGENCY AGAINST THE 24
PARK OWNER; 25

(3) PROVIDED TESTIMONY OR INFORMATION IN A LEG AL OR 26
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDING AGAINST THE PARK OWNER; OR 27

(4) EXERCISED A RIGHT UNDER STATE OR FEDERAL LAW. 28

SENATE BILL 998 5

(F) A RESIDENT OR A HOMEOW NERS ASSOCIATION ACTING ON BEHALF OF 1
AFFECTED MEMBERS MAY FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE DEPARTMENT ALLEGING A 2
VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION. 3

(G) THE DEPARTMENT MAY: 4

(1) INVESTIGATE A COMPLAINT MADE BY A RESIDENT O R 5
HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION; 6

(2) ISSUE ORDERS REQUIRIN G COMPLIANCE WITH THE 7
REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION BY A PARK OWNER; 8

(3) IMPOSE A CIVIL PENALT Y FOR A VIOLATION OF T HIS SECTION; 9
AND 10

(4) REFER A VIOLATION TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR LEGAL 11
ENFORCEMENT. 12

(H) THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY BRING AN ACTION TO ENJOIN ANY ACTS 13
IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION AND TO RECOV ER CIVIL PENALTIES AUTHORIZED 14
UNDER SUBSECTION (G) OF THIS SECTION. 15

(I) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS TO CAR RY OUT THIS 16
SUBTITLE. 17

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 18
October 1, 2026. 19