Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Maryland House passes 10‑day landlord reclamation measure after floor debate
Summary
The House approved House Bill 767 to require landlords to hold evicted tenants' personal property for 10 days after eviction; supporters framed it as dignity for tenants and children, opponents warned of practical burdens on small landlords and possible unintended consequences.
Annapolis, March 7, 2025 — The Maryland House approved House Bill 767 on third reading after floor debate that focused on a 10‑day reclamation period landlords must provide for possessions left after eviction.
The bill requires landlords, after eviction and a judgment of possession, to hold a tenant’s personal property for an additional 10 days. Supporters described the legislation as restoring dignity — keeping a child’s toys, family photos and personal items from being dumped on the street. “It would mean that [children] would not have to deal with the indignity of their Elmo dolls and their teddy bears ... ending up on the side of the road,” the floor leader said.
Opponents, including a delegate identifying himself as the gentleman from Southern Maryland, said the bill would create impractical obligations for landlords. He described instances in which landlords faced difficulty retrieving personal property, cited scenarios where the sheriff’s timing affects landlord access, and said small, individual landlords could be disproportionately burdened. “The landlord can do nothing ... they’ve had someone in there ... they got a judgment of possession, and they got to wait another 2 months to schedule a time for the sheriff to come out,” the opponent said.
Members also debated whether the bill goes beyond the narrow court decisions that prompted the change and whether it diverged from practices in other states. The bill’s sponsor and supporters said other states have protections and that the bill addresses harms documented in a recent lawsuit and constituent stories, such as veterans or widows who lost irreplaceable items.
The clerk reported there were 93 votes in the affirmative; House Bill 767, having received the constitutional majority, was declared passed.
Why it matters: The measure changes landlord‑tenant procedures statewide and could affect how small property owners manage evictions and storage of personal property, while supporters framed it as limiting public shaming and loss of irreplaceable items.
Discussion on the floor highlighted practical logistics (sheriff timing and liability), different stakeholder impacts (small landlords vs. displaced tenants), and the degree to which the bill aligns with or diverges from practices elsewhere. No implementation timetable was specified on the floor; the bill was declared passed and proceeds in the legislative process.
