Note: the materials you provided include multiple different bills titled “HB 1257” from several states and subject areas. The majority of the documents you attached (fiscal note, bill text, committee report, engrossed/third‑reader text) pertain to Maryland House Bill 1257 — “Landlord and Tenant – Residential Leases – Fee Disclosures.” I summarize that Maryland bill below. If you intended a different HB 1257 (e.g., the Arkansas psychology‑technician bill, Indiana license plate bill, North Dakota organizational session amendments, or a Pennsylvania constitutional joint resolution referenced in your header), tell me which one and I will prepare a separate summary.
Summary — Maryland HB 1257 (Landlord and Tenant — Residential Leases — Fee Disclosures)
Purpose
- Require landlords to disclose mandatory and optional fees to prospective tenants and prevent landlords from charging undisclosed mandatory fees; provide administrative penalties and a tenant civil cause of action for violations.
Key definitions
- Fee: any charge, cost, or monetary obligation other than rent.
- Mandatory fee: compulsory fee imposed as a condition of tenancy.
- Optional fee: voluntary fee (e.g., parking, storage, pet fees).
Scope / Applicability
- Applies to landlords offering four or more dwelling units for rent (committee amendment changed earlier drafts that referenced five).
- Applies to leases signed or renewed on or after October 1, 2025.
- Exemptions: utility passthroughs for water/sewer/gas/electric (and in some drafts garbage collection), routine charges for minor lease violations (e.g., replacement keys), penalties under common‑ownership community bylaws, and lawful withholding of security deposits per existing law.
Required disclosures
- Landlords must provide prospective tenants, in writing, an itemized list identifying all fees the landlord may impose and, for each fee:
- basis for the fee;
- fee amount;
- whether it is mandatory or optional; and
- when the fee is due (lump sum, monthly, or periodic).
- Advertisements or listings that state a rental rate must include all mandatory fees with the rental rate; if mandatory fees are due at different times than rent, the amount and timing must be stated separately.
- Any mandatory fee not disclosed under these rules may not be imposed; lease provisions that fail the disclosure requirement are unenforceable.
Enforcement and remedies
- Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) must assist tenants and prospective tenants in understanding the law and reporting violations and must adopt implementing regulations.
- DHCD may impose administrative penalties after a hearing:
- First offense: warning.
- Second offense: $500 (individual landlord) or $1,000 (entity).
- Third or subsequent offense: $1,000 (individual) or $2,000 (entity).
- Tenants may bring civil actions for violations that occurred on or after February 1, 2026 and that occurred during tenancy or within two years after tenancy ends. If court finds a violation, it may award treble actual damages and reasonable attorney’s fees.
Fiscal and operational impact
- Fiscal note: not expected to materially affect State or local government finances or operations. Minimal effect on small businesses (landlords) anticipated, mainly administrative (disclosure paperwork) and potential penalties.
Who is affected
- Primary: landlords offering ≥ four dwelling units in Maryland and their prospective tenants.
- Secondary: property managers, rental listing platforms (because of advertising disclosure requirements), DHCD (regulatory/assistance role), and local jurisdictions (may adopt stricter local rules).
Local authority
- Counties/municipalities may enact consistent local laws. Local laws that are more protective or broader in scope supersede the State provisions.
Timing
- Disclosure requirements apply to qualifying leases signed/renewed on or after October 1, 2025.
- Tenant civil claims are limited to violations occurring on/after February 1, 2026 and within the tenancy or two years after it ends.
Notes / drafting variations
- Earlier drafts cited landlords offering five or more units; committee‑amended text uses four or more.
- Some versions differ on whether garbage collection utility passthroughs are exempt; the most recent text includes garbage collection among utility exemptions.
If you want, I can:
- Produce a one‑page fact sheet for tenants or for landlords summarizing obligations and sample disclosure language; or
- Summarize one of the other HB 1257 bills from the documents you supplied.
