Landlords tell Hagerstown council rising expenses make rent caps impractical without offsetting relief

Representatives of the Hagerstown Landlord Association told the city council that rising operating costs make simple rent caps difficult for property owners to absorb.

Joe Craft, president of the Landlord Association, introduced a panel that included Michael Stanford, Nancy Allen, Taran Cooper and Rebecca Robinson. Michael Stanford walked the council through a sample profit‑and‑loss for a seven‑unit building, saying “utilities between 2024 and 2025 35% increase.” He used that example to show a $14,939 annual increase (a 17.34% net expense rise) that a small owner could not immediately pass through under typical rent‑increase constraints.

Landlords emphasized a set of cost pressures: higher utility bills, phased‑in property tax reassessments, greater maintenance and insurance costs, and state regulatory changes that affect tenant screening and eviction timelines. They argued these all raise operating risks for smaller landlords and said additional measures would be needed to preserve housing supply and property upkeep if the city adopts strict rent limits.

Council members acknowledged the pain tenants report and the desire for protections; several urged better landlord–tenant communication and more municipal analysis. Staff and council discussed creating a workgroup that brings landlords, tenants and housing experts together; council members also suggested targeting boarded and vacant properties for rehabilitation as a complementary strategy to increase affordable stock.

No ordinance was proposed at the work session; the exchange was part of the council’s fact‑finding on rent stabilization options and next steps called for continuing stakeholder engagement and more data on the local housing stock and expense drivers.