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Howard County, MD Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section: County Code § 17.1009(c)
Required standard: Clean, habitable, sanitary, rodent-free
Codes incorporated: Building, Fire, Property Maintenance, Zoning
Tenant remedy: Rent escrow or lease termination
Waiver ban: § 17.1010 voids rights waivers

Summary

Every Howard County residential lease must promise a clean, sanitary, rodent-free unit under County Code § 17.1009(c), which also folds the Building Code, Fire Prevention Code, Property Maintenance Code for Rental Housing, and Zoning Regulations into the lease as an express warranty of habitability and covenant to repair.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Howard County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

(c)Condition of Unit.(1)(i)A lease shall state that the landlord will deliver the dwelling unit and any common areas in a clean, habitable, and sanitary condition, free of rodents and vermin, and in compliance with all applicable laws.(ii)Alternatively, for a condominium or cooperative housing structure, the lease may state that the landlord is required to deliver only the dwelling unit in a clean, habitable, and sanitary condition, free of rodents and vermin, and in complete compliance with all applicable laws.(2)A lease shall specify the landlord's responsibility to maintain the rental housing in accordance with Howard County law.(3)A lease shall incorporate by reference the Howard County Building Code, the Howard County Fire Prevention Code, the Howard County Property Maintenance Code for Rental Housing, and the Howard County Zoning Regulations, as an express warranty of habitability and covenant to repair.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 91 | Zoning: Supplement 25).

Full Breakdown

1009, part of the landlord-tenant Subtitle 10 adopted by County Bill 20-2018, sets out the provisions every residential lease in Howard County must contain. 1010 backs this up by voiding any lease clause that tries to waive a right or protection the subtitle grants.

Violations & Fines

A lease that omits the § 17.1009 habitability warranty, or the required incorporation of the Building, Fire Prevention, Property Maintenance, and Zoning codes, is unenforceable to that extent under § 17.1003(b)(1); the rest of the lease still stands. If the landlord ignores an unabated notice of violation, § 17.1009(b)(3) lets the tenant terminate the lease without penalty or demand a rent-escrow account instead of paying rent directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What must my Howard County lease promise about the unit's condition?

Under § 17.1009(c)(1)(i), the lease must state the landlord will deliver the unit and common areas in a clean, habitable, and sanitary condition, free of rodents and vermin, and in compliance with all applicable laws; condo and co-op leases may limit that promise to the unit itself.

Can my landlord waive this habitability requirement in the lease?

No. § 17.1010(7) makes it a prohibited lease provision to waive a right or protection under Subtitle 10, and § 17.1003(b)(1) makes any conflicting lease clause unenforceable while leaving the rest of the lease intact.

What can I do if the County cites my landlord and nothing changes?

§ 17.1009(b)(3) lets you either terminate the lease without penalty or ask for a rent-escrow account so you keep paying rent into escrow, not directly to the landlord, until an unabated Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits notice of violation is fixed.

Does the lease have to mention specific County codes?

Yes. § 17.1009(c)(3) requires the lease to incorporate by reference the Howard County Building Code, Fire Prevention Code, Property Maintenance Code for Rental Housing, and Zoning Regulations as an express warranty of habitability and covenant to repair.

Sources & Official References

[1]Howard County Code § 17.1009 (Municode)

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All Howard County rules

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