Over the objections of Republicans, who said it would deter housing development in the state, the House approved the so-called “good cause evictions” bill Monday 84-41 on a mostly party-line vote.
It’s a miraculous turnaround for the bill that was considered dead just a week earlier. But it may not be enough to get it through the Senate, where similar bills have died in the past, with just a week left in the legislative session.
House Bill 774 would let local jurisdictions require that landlords who want to cancel a tenant’s lease cite a reason for the cancellation from a specified list, which includes failure to pay rent, violating terms of the lease, engaging in illegal activity on the property and more.
Despite winning some amendments to the bill last week, Republican on Monday said during a roughly 25-minute debate that they believe the legislation will drive housing developers away from Maryland at a time the state officials are trying to attract new development.
Del. Christopher T. Adams (R-Middle Shore) argued that “goood cause” eviction legislation ties the hands of landlords. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters)
“The legislature seems to understand that the moment is now to resolve issues with housing,” said Del. Christopher T. Adams (R-Middle Shore). “We bring a bill that, from the perspective of a landlord, is tough at best.”
He recognized the challenges families may face when they are suddenly without housing, but reminded the body that a “lease is a contract … that has a beginning and an end.
“I know housing is a little more important – there’s a social component to this – but when it comes to the legislature stepping in between the landlord and the tenant, stepping between two parties that have entered willingly into a contract, I suggest that we do that carefully,” Adams said. “This is the wrong policy … coming at the wrong time.”
But Del. Nick Allen (D-Baltimore County) noted that the bill has been considered by various House committees in the almost 10 years it’s been filed, saying he couldn’t “think of a bill that has had more work put into it than this one.”
“We are in a housing crisis, and when it comes to making sure people have housing, part of the battle is ensuring stability — ensuring people can stay in the home that they already live in, while we continue to push and build for more housing,” Allen said.
Bill sponsor Del. Jheanelle K. Wilkins (D-Montgomery), said it was important to move the bill because “no one should be evicted without a reason.
“Every single resident of Maryland, every family in your jurisdiction, deserve a reason before they are told they must leave their home,” Wilkins said. “It is an enabling measure, it allows a county, if they choose to do so, to implement good cause evictions, so that our residents have a reason and a fair chance to keep their homes.”
It’s the second time the House has approved good cause eviction legislation, after first approving it in 2024.
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But HB 774 has followed an unusual path this session. Last Monday, it did not have enough support to move out of the Economic Matters Committee, essentially killing the bill in the eyes of some lawmakers.
But the bill was resuscitated Wednesday, when the committee reconsidered the bill and voted it out onto the House floor.
The next battle is in the Senate, which has long been a hurdle in recent years for good cause legislation.
Last session, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee took the lead on passing good cause legislation, but tried to amend the bill to make local jurisdictions pick between rent-control measures or good cause evictions. The goal was to find a middle ground between developers and renters, but advocates pulled their support for the amended measure, and the bill died in committee.
The Judicial Proceedings Committee has not voted on its version of the bill, Senate Bill 462, after holding a hearing on it in mid-February. With the House version moving to the Senate so late in session, it will likely be sent to the Senate Rules committee, where it may languish for the rest of session.
