Prince George's County Council - Reference No. CB-078-2020

• Reference No.: CB-078-2020
• Draft No.: 2
• Type: Council Bill
• Status: Enacted
• Meeting Body: County Council
• Meeting Date: 11/17/2020
• Introduced Date: 10/20/2020
• Public Hearing Date: 11/17/2020 @ 1:30 PM
• Effective date: 2/1/2021
• Title: AN ACT CONCERNING LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF A RENT INCREASE THAT MAY BE ASSESSED AFTER THE ADOPTION OF CB-16- 2020, WHICH PROHIBITED CERTAIN ACTS DURING THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS for the purpose of amending the Landlord-Tenant Code to limit a landlord’s ability to increase rent for certain tenants above a certain amount; providing that existing obligations or contract rights may not be impaired by this Act; and generally relating to rent increases.
• Proposers/Sponsors: Jolene Ivey, Todd M. Turner, Rodney C. Streeter, Derrick Leon Davis, Dannielle M. Glaros, Monique Anderson-Walker, Mel Franklin, Sydney J. Harrison, Calvin S. Hawkins, Deni L. Taveras, Thomas E. Dernoga
• Code sections: 13-139 - , 13-140 - , 13-142 -
• Contact: Monica Best-James, Legislative Officer

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
12/17/2020	2	County Executive	signed
11/17/2020	2	County Council	public hearing held
11/17/2020	2	County Council	enacted	Pass
10/20/2020	1	County Council	introduced
10/20/2020	1	Sitting as the Committee of the Whole	Favorably recommended with amendments	Pass
10/13/2020	1	Sitting as the Committee of the Whole	Held in Committee	Pass
9/29/2020	1	County Council	presented and referred

Title

AN ACT CONCERNING LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF A RENT INCREASE THAT MAY BE ASSESSED AFTER THE ADOPTION OF CB-16- 2020, WHICH PROHIBITED CERTAIN ACTS DURING THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS for the purpose of amending the Landlord-Tenant Code to limit a landlord’s ability to increase rent for certain tenants above a certain amount; providing that existing obligations or contract rights may not be impaired by this Act; and generally relating to rent increases.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a horrendous impact on the national economy and has created an eviction crisis nationwide. This crisis has made it necessary for the Governor of Maryland to declare a State-of-Emergency and to impose a moratorium on evictions to protect Maryland's citizens. However, the Governor's Executive Orders preventing evictions has not prevented rent increases for renters that are not able to prove that they are covered by the protections provided in CB-16-2020.

This bill will limit rent increases to a maximum amount of 2.6% annually for renters that are not covered by the Governor's State-of Emergency declaration or the protections of CB-16-2020. It will be effective as of the date of the Governor's State-of-Emergency and the relevant Executive Orders and it will extend the protections up to 90 days after the Governor lifts the current State-Of Emergency.