Howard County, MD Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Howard County, MD, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Current status
- No rent-control ordinance in force
- Expired law
- § 17.1200, Rental Protection & Stability Act
- Expiration date
- November 16, 2021
- Court ruling
- Willowbrook Apartment Assocs. v. Baltimore (2021)
- Enacting bill
- County Bill 33-2020
Summary
Howard County has no permanent rent-control ordinance. Its only attempt, the 2020 Rental Protection and Stability Act at County Code § 17.1200, froze rent increases only during the Governor's COVID-19 emergency, and a federal court later struck part of it down; the Act ceased to apply after November 16, 2021.
(a)Scope.(1)Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, this section applies during the catastrophic health emergency declared by the Governor of Maryland on March 5, 2020, as amended or extended by the Governor, under section 14-3A-02 of the Public Safety Article of the Maryland Code. ... Editor's note— On September 27, 2021, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland ruled that portions of the County's Rental Protection and Stability Act, Howard County Code Section 17.1200 (the "Act"), violate the Maryland Constitution and the Maryland Declaration of Rights and are, therefore, invalid as applied in certain instances. ... The Maryland State of Emergency ended on August 15, 2021 and, except as provided therein as to payment plans, the Act ceases to be in effect after November 16, 2021.
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
1200, the Rental Protection and Stability Act adopted by County Bill 33-2020, was Howard County's only attempt at rent regulation. 1200(a), it applied only 'during the catastrophic health emergency declared by the Governor of Maryland on March 5, 2020,' and for up to three additional months after that emergency ended, covering both residential and commercial rented space. 1200(d) instead required landlords with five or more units to offer struggling tenants a one-year rent-payment plan with no added fees or penalties. The Act never became a permanent local rent-control law.
S. District Court for the District of Maryland, in Willowbrook Apartment Associates, LLC v. Mayor & City Council of Baltimore, ruled that parts of the Act 'violate the Maryland Constitution and the Maryland Declaration of Rights,' and held it could apply only prospectively, not to rent increases agreed to before its May 23, 2020 effective date. ' No County Council bill has replaced it, so landlords in Howard County today set rent under ordinary Maryland landlord-tenant law, with no local cap or stabilization board.
Violations & Fines
There is no current rent-control violation to enforce because § 17.1200 lapsed on November 16, 2021, and the Governor's emergency order it depended on ended August 15, 2021. While it was in force, a violation of the rent-freeze or payment-plan provisions was handled through the Office of Consumer Protection, which retained landlords' payment-plan applications and fielded written complaints under § 17.1200(d)(6)-(7).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Howard County have rent control?
What did the expired rent law actually require?
Why did the rent-freeze law end?
Is there any rent cap in Howard County today?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Howard County
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