Extending tenant protections during the pandemic, the county council in Maryland's Montgomery County passed a law Tuesday prohibiting landlords from raising rents above a certain percentage until May 15, 2022, reported Ally Schweitzer, a housing and development reporter for DCist and WAMU.
The legislation, which comes from Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At Large), will allow landlords to increase rents up to a maximum of 1.4% for the remainder of 2021. However, next year’s cap will conform to the county’s voluntary rent guidelines, based on the Consumer Price Index rental component.
The law also temporarily bars landlords from charging fees for late rent payments, but it does not require them to refund late fees they have already charged during the pandemic.
“By stabilizing rents until May 2022 and preventing the collection of late fees, we will help the many low-income families, senior citizens living on a fixed income and people with disabilities who have been deeply impacted by the pandemic and continue to need rental support,” Jawando said.
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, Councilmember Nancy Navarro (D-District 4) stressed the importance of keeping landlords whole with the continued distribution of rent assistance in the county. Members of the council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development committee amended the bill to address concerns from tenant advocates and property managers. Committee Chair Hans Riemer (D-At Large) introduced an amendment to end the rent caps in May, rather than August, as originally proposed by Jawando.
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