Lawyers, tenants and advocates urge standardized mold assessment and remediation in Maryland tenant bill

Senator Shanika Henson presented SB 856, the Maryland Tenant Mold Protection Act, asking the Environment and Transportation Committee for a favorable report and bringing a panel of tenants, legal services attorneys and advocates.

Henson said the bill implements three of four recommendations from a work group and would require state departments to adopt regulations establishing standards for mold identification, assessment and remediation. The bill would require landlords to provide tenants with a best-practices pamphlet at lease signing (and on request thereafter), require a landlord-conducted mold assessment within 15 days of tenant notice, and require remediation within 45 days if the assessment indicates remediation is needed. Henson said the departments must also create a centralized public resource with standards and guidance.

Multiple witnesses described the practical problems the legislation is intended to solve. Lisa Saro, an attorney with Community Legal Services, testified that inconsistent inspections and lack of clear remediation standards leave tenants unable to effectively pursue rent-escrow or other civil remedies. "This is a regular experience that people in Maryland renters are experiencing," Saro said.

Albert Turner of the Public Justice Center gave a courtroom example in Baltimore where multiple inspections produced different findings at different times, and he told the committee such inconsistency undermines enforcement. Joseph Loveless of Maryland Legal Aid said the bill would put "the science of mold remediation assessment and treatment at the forefront" and create universal standards to allow courts to adjudicate disputes more predictably.

Several tenants described severe, longstanding mold problems. Isaac Boro (transcript: "Isaac Boro"), who testified he recently moved out of a rental unit, said repeated repair requests were ignored and described mold bleeding through ceilings and growth on insulation and in the basement. He described a "chandelier of black mold" that had to be scraped after it dried. Boro said remediation efforts were insufficient or temporary and that his unit’s condition affected his health.

Committee members asked technical questions about what tests would be used and whether the 45-day remediation time frame is realistic. Advocates and the sponsor said the bill requires departments to develop regulations defining assessment and remediation procedures; sponsor and witnesses noted the bill allows for a reasonable extension beyond 45 days if testing logistics or other circumstances make the standard timeline infeasible.

County representatives supported the bill "with amendments," seeking clarity about the regulation-driven compliance burden and local resource constraints; Carrington Anderson of the Maryland Association of Counties said counties favored added flexibility and preferred best practices to a prescriptive regulation if resources were limited.

Why it matters: Tenant advocates and legal services attorneys said the absence of statewide standards creates inconsistent enforcement and prolonged health risks for renters. The bill aims to create uniform regulatory standards that landlords, tenants and courts can rely on statewide.

Next steps: The sponsor asked for a favorable report; several organizations testified in favor and county groups said they would continue negotiating implementation details.