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House Bill 774 fails in Economic Matters Committee after debate over 'good cause' eviction definitions
Summary
House Bill 774, an enabling bill that would let counties adopt 'good cause' lease-renewal rules, failed in the Economic Matters Committee after extended debate about how terms such as 'substantial breach' and 'habitually late' would operate in court and across counties.
Annapolis — House Bill 774, a state enabling measure that would let local counties adopt so-called "good cause" rules limiting when a landlord can refuse to renew a lease, failed to carry in the Economic Matters Committee on Monday after lengthy questioning over definitions and enforcement.
The committee’s debate centered on how the bill would work in practice and in court. The bill’s sponsor described it as enabling: counties would choose whether to adopt the state-guided list of grounds for refusing to renew a lease, which includes a "substantial breach" of lease, illegal activity on the premises, habitually late rent and a landlord’s good-faith plan to remove a unit from the rental market for at least one year. The sponsor said the measure does not strip landlords of existing tools to…
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