HB 774

Landlord and Tenant - Residential Leases and Holdover Tenancies - Local Good Cause Termination (Good Cause Eviction)

Sponsor: Jheanelle K. Wilkins (District 20)Committee: Economic MattersSubject: Real PropertyStatus: First Reading Senate Rules (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Authorizing a county to adopt, by local law or ordinance, provisions prohibiting certain landlords of residential property from failing to renew a lease during the lease period or from terminating a holdover tenancy without good cause; establishing certain requirements and prohibitions for a local law or ordinance adopted in accordance with the Act; etc.

AI analysis is off. Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to enable summaries, pros and cons, and questions.

Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (121)

MGA witness list

FAV 112FavorableFWA 2Favorable with amendmentsUNF 7Unfavorable

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Arikat, Loraine	1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East	Written (PDF)
FAV	RUBIN, ANNA	Anna Rubin	Written (PDF)
FAV	Harkless, Dawn	BRHP	Oral
FAV	Zeigler, Luke	BaltPOP (Baltimoreans for People-Oriented Places)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hovermale, Emilylobbyist	Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership	Written (PDF)
FAV	Michaels, Charles	Beyond the Boundaries	Written (PDF)
FAV	Moore, Tonaeyalobbyist	CASH Campaign of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	DuBois, Gwen	Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility	Written (PDF)
FAV	Searcy, Talisha	City of Takoma Park	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilson Randall, Claudia	Community Development Network of Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Sarro, Lisa	Community Legal Services	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilpone-Welborn, Kira	Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General	Written (PDF)
FAV	Day, Jake	Department of Housing and Community Development	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Dickinson, Leslie	Disability Rights Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bevan-Dangel, Jenniferlobbyist	Economic Action Maryland Fund	Written (PDF)
FAV	Chestnut, Tonia	Enclave Tenant Association	Oral
FAV	Reed, Danlobbyist	Greater Greater Washington	Oral
FAV	Diamond, Joanna	Health Care for the Homeless	Written (PDF)
FAV	Adams, Shanell	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Pevie, Mia	Individual	Oral
FAV	Rives, Kelli	Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Agarin, Ufuoma	Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Büttner, Lisa	Long Branch Housing Action Team	Written (PDF)
FAV	Canales, Yolanda	Long Branch Housing Action Team	Written (PDF)
FAV	Zacarias, Floridalma	Long Branch Housing Action Team	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mendez, Paola	Long Branch Housing Action Team (LBHAT)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Butchko, Dominic	Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Zelaya, Michellelobbyist	Maryland Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schumitz, Kalilobbyist	Maryland Center on Economic Policy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilkins, Jheanelle	Maryland House of Delegates	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shah, Zafar	Maryland Legal Aid	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Themelis, Nina	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Frey, Leslie	Montgomery County	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sayles, Laurie-Anne	Montgomery County Council	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stewart, Kate	Montgomery County Council	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mink, Kristin	Montgomery County Council District 5	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jawando, Will	Montgomery County Councilmember	Written (PDF)
FAV	Goldstein, Laura	Montgomery County Counseling Center	Position only
FAV	Bruton, Scott	Montgomery County DHCA	Oral
FAV	Hayes, Kyle	Montgomery County DSA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Azriel, Merryl	Montgomery County Green Party	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hoang, Tim	Montgomery County Renters Alliance	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Towey, Emilee	Montgomery County Renters Alliance	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Losak, Matthew	Montgomery County Renters Alliance, Inc.	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Jacobs, Robin	N/A	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wheaton, David	NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund	Written (PDF)
FAV	Proctor, Karessa	NASW Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Speaks, Terry	Out for Justice	Written (PDF)
FAV	Snyder, Co-Chair, Abby	Poverty Free Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Davis, Katherine	Pro Bono Resource Center	Written (PDF)
FAV	Puentes, Ericalobbyist	Progressive Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Cano, Christopherlobbyist	SEIU Local 500	Written (PDF)
FAV	Blaha, Katherine	SURJ	Written (PDF)
FAV	Badeker, Melissa	SURJ Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Eckel, Rianna	SURJ Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kleinman, Jan	SURJ Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ortega, Chelsea	Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC	Written (PDF)
FAV	Powell, Holly	Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hoffman, Theresa M.	Showing Up for Racial Justice Baltimore	Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 121

Organizations on record

1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers EastFAV 1

Anna RubinFAV 1

Baltimore Regional Housing PartnershipFAV 1

BaltPOP (Baltimoreans for People-Oriented Places)FAV 1

Beyond the BoundariesFAV 1

BRHPFAV 1

CASH Campaign of MarylandFAV 1

Chesapeake Physicians for Social ResponsibilityFAV 1

City of Takoma ParkFAV 1

Community Development Network of MarylandFAV 1

Community Legal ServicesFAV 1

Consumer Protection Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney GeneralFAV 1

Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentFAV 1

Disability Rights MarylandFAV 1

Economic Action Maryland FundFAV 1

Enclave Tenant AssociationFAV 1

Greater Greater WashingtonFAV 1

Health Care for the HomelessFAV 1

IndividualFAV 2

Jewish Community Relations Council of Howard CountyFAV 1

Legislative Black Caucus of MarylandFAV 1

Long Branch Housing Action TeamFAV 3

Long Branch Housing Action Team (LBHAT)FAV 1

Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)FAV 1

Maryland Bankers AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Building Industry AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Catholic ConferenceFAV 1

Maryland Center on Economic PolicyFAV 1

Maryland House of DelegatesFAV 1

Maryland JudiciaryUNF 1

Maryland Legal AidFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Mayor's Office of Government RelationsFAV 1

Montgomery CountyFAV 1

Montgomery County CouncilFAV 2

Montgomery County Council District 5FAV 1

Montgomery County CouncilmemberFAV 1

Montgomery County Counseling CenterFAV 1

Montgomery County DHCAFAV 1

Montgomery County DSAFAV 1

Montgomery County Green PartyFAV 1

Montgomery County Renters AllianceFAV 2

Montgomery County Renters Alliance, Inc.FAV 1

N/AFAV 1

NAACP Legal Defense & Educational FundFAV 1

NASW MarylandFAV 1

Out for JusticeFAV 1

Poverty Free MarylandFAV 1

Pro Bono Resource CenterFAV 1

Progressive MarylandFAV 1

Rifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCUNF 1

Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLCFAV 1

SEIU Local 500FAV 1

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)FAV 1

Showing Up for Racial Justice BaltimoreFAV 1

Showing Up for Racial Justice- BaltimoreFAV 1

Social Work Advocates for Social ChangeFAV 1

SURJFAV 1

SURJ BaltimoreFAV 3

The Horizon FoundationFAV 1

The Renters AllianceFAV 1

Thurgood Marshall Institute, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational FundFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

YearFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVHovermale, EmilyBaltimore Regional Housing PartnershipRegistered for: Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership

FAVMoore, TonaeyaCASH Campaign of MarylandRegistered for: CASH Campaign of Maryland

FAVBevan-Dangel, JenniferEconomic Action Maryland FundRegistered for: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland; Humane Society of the United States; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Humane World for Animals

FAVReed, DanGreater Greater WashingtonRegistered for: Greater Greater Washington

FAVZelaya, MichelleMaryland Catholic ConferenceRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference

FAVSchumitz, KaliMaryland Center on Economic PolicyRegistered for: Maryland Center on Economic Policy

FAVPuentes, EricaProgressive MarylandRegistered for: Progressive Maryland

FAVCano, ChristopherSEIU Local 500Registered for: SEIU Local 500

FAVSchneider, GlennThe Horizon FoundationRegistered for: Horizon Foundation of Howard County, Inc., The

UNFGraf, LoriMaryland Building Industry AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Building Industry Association

UNFCastelli, WilliamRifkin, Weiner, Livingston LLCRegistered for: ASC Engineered Solutions; Berkshire Hathaway Energy GT&S, LLC; Board of County Commissioners of Allegany County, MD; Brown Advisory; Cable Telecommunications Association of Maryland, Delaware and D.C., Inc.; Colonial Pipeline Company…

UNFAnleu, BrianRegistered for: AOBA; Apartment & Office Building Association; National Apartment Association

UNFBagwell, AshlieRegistered for: AbbVie Inc.; Aligned Data Centers; American Academy of Anesthesiology Assistants, Inc.; Atmosphere Data Centers LLC; Baltimore Civic Fund, Inc.; Beltway Fine Wine…

UNFGreenfield, AaronRegistered for: BTS Bioenergy; Baltimore Area Council Boy Scouts of America, Inc.; Embassy of Japan; Ernst & Young, LLP; FEi Systems; Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake…