Subcommittee advances bill requiring landlords to disclose utility ledger details with pay-or-quit notices

The civil law subcommittee reported HB 13 61, a tenant-transparency and due-process bill sponsored by Delegate Delia Maldonado, after testimony from housing advocates and landlord representatives. The substitute requires landlords’ utility-ledger records to include a description of how monthly energy and utility fees are calculated and allows tenants to obtain a ledger without paying a fee.

Delia Maldonado said the change is "a ledger transparency bill" aimed at housing stability by ensuring tenants receive the same accounting landlords have when a pay-or-quit notice is issued. Laura Dawes with Housing Opportunities Made Equal and Larissa Zehr with the Legal Aid Justice Center told the panel that ledgers often are wrong or withheld, and that earlier access to accurate records can prevent court actions and unnecessary evictions. Brienne Armbrust, executive director of the Neighborhood Resource Center, said providing the ledger upfront would cut through barriers that push tenants into court.

Committee members asked how a missing ledger affects notice validity; counsel said a termination notice that fails to include the required ledger information would likely be ineffective under the new subsection, giving tenants a defense in court. The subcommittee adopted the substitute and reported the bill (vote recorded 9–0). The sponsor said the bill does not change what landlords may charge; it only increases transparency and access to records.