In 2025, the 447th Maryland General Assembly session convened on Jan. 8 and adjourned on April 7. Maryland REALTORS® issues a recap of all of the pertinent legislation affecting the real estate industry. Below is the summary of the Housing Supply and Affordability related legislation that passed, as well as a sampling that did not pass.
R® SB 891/HB 1466 Land Use and Real Property - Accessory Dwelling Units PASSED – Effective October 1, 2025
Local governments will be required to enact ordinances allowing for the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units on single-family detached residential properties by October 2026.
R® SB 46 Wrongful Detainer - Time of Hearing and Service of Process PASSED – Effective October 1, 2025
This bill creates an expedited wrongful detainer process to assist with fraudulent possession of residential properties by squatters. Court hearings to return possession of properties to the owner must occur in no more than 10 days following the filing of the complaint.
HB 249/SB 125 Local Limits on Summoning Law Enforcement or Emergency Services PASSED – Effective July 1, 2025
Local jurisdictions are currently prohibited from enacting laws limiting calls to emergency services. This bill clarifies that they are also prohibited from enforcing such ordinances that were previously passed.
HB 489/SB 436 Study on Single-Staircase Building Code Requirements PASSED – Effective July 1, 2025
The Maryland Department of Labor to study building code requirements for single-staircase buildings and make other recommendations to increase affordable housing options.
HB 1193 Maryland Housing Data Transparency Act PASSED – Effective July 1, 2025
This bill requires counties with at least 150,000 residents to make quarterly reports to the Department of Planning outlining the number and type of residential building permits issued by that county, beginning on January 1, 2027. Smaller jurisdictions may submit this same information.
R® HB 503/SB 430 Housing Development Act DID NOT PASS
Introduced as the Housing for Jobs Act, this bill would have provided additional regulatory certainty for housing developers and calculated the housing gaps which exist in each locality.
HB 38 School Construction and Housing - Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances DID NOT PASS
Local governments could not delay housing developments for more than four years under Adequate Public Facilities Ordinances for school capacity.
HB 80/SB 190 Land Use - Transit-Oriented Development DID NOT PASS
Approved transit-oriented developments would be exempted from certain local requirements, including parking, height restrictions or setbacks, and must allow mixed use development
Lauren Bunting is a Broker with Keller Williams Realty of Delmarva in Ocean City, Maryland.
