In 2026, the 449th Maryland General Assembly session convened on January 14th and adjourned on April 13th. Maryland REALTORS® issues a recap of all of the pertinent legislation affecting the real estate industry. Below is a summary of the housing supply and affordability related legislation that passed.
R® SB 325/HB 548 Permitting - Development Rights (MD Housing Certainty Act) Effective 10/1/2026
Requires that decisions on housing development applications be based only on the laws and regulations in effect when a complete application is submitted, preventing later rule changes from affecting the project. It also grants developers a vested right to proceed with an approved project for at least five years and delays impact fees or excise taxes until construction is complete and occupancy requirements are met.
R® HB 894 Transit-Oriented Development (Maryland Transit & Housing Opportunity Act) Effective 10/1/2026
The bill automatically designates areas within transit-oriented developments served by rail stations with at least hourly weekday service as enterprise zones. It prohibits local governments from requiring minimum off-street parking for residential or mixed-use projects within 0.25 miles of qualifying rail stations, unless supported by a recent, data-based parking study approved by the Department of Transportation. It also bars local restrictions on State or WMATA-owned land and requires zoning changes to allow mixed-use development within 0.5 miles of qualifying rail stations.
SB 829/HB 1137 Residential-in-Commercial-Zones – Study (Bring Back Main Street Act) Effective 6/1/2026
Requires the state housing department to study laws that allow housing in commercial areas. They must compare similar laws in other states, look at their impacts, and suggest rules for mixed-use and multifamily development. A report with findings and recommendations is due by December 1, 2026.
HB 168 Affordable Housing - Educator Workforce Housing PASSED – Effective 7/1/2026
Allows the development of educator workforce housing as a qualified use of the Housing Innovation Fund, Housing Innovation Pilot Program, and Neighborhood and Community Assistance Program.
HB 343 Housing Development Projects - Housing Counseling Services Effective 7/1/2026
Developers using certain state housing funds must give homebuyers information about housing counseling before they sign a purchase contract. As passed, this bill includes industry amendments to remove requirements that developers offer counseling services rather than information on such services.
Lauren Bunting is a Broker with Keller Williams Realty of Delmarva in Ocean City, Maryland.
