Md. Code, Housing and Community Development § 7-220
This is the official text of Md. Code, Housing and Community Development § 7-220, part of Maryland’s Code, Housing and Community Development — governs housing programs and community development.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§7–220.
Official statutory text
(a) (1) After notice and public hearing, a political subdivision may find that, because of a protected action, a low-income and moderate-income rental housing emergency exists in all or part of its jurisdiction.
(2) The political subdivision shall make findings as to:
(i) the nature and incidence of protected actions;
(ii) the resulting hardship to and displacement of tenants; and
(iii) the scarcity of low-income and moderate-income rental housing.
(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, on finding that there is an emergency under this section, a political subdivision may enact a law, ordinance, or regulation to:
(i) grant to a designated household a right to an extended lease for a period in addition to that granted under § 7-214 of this subtitle; or
(ii) extend any other provision of this subtitle concerning extended leases.
(2) A political subdivision may not require that:
(i) more than 20% of assisted units in an assisted project be set aside for extended leases for designated households; or
(ii) the term of an extended lease for any household made a designated household by the political subdivision exceed 3 years.
(3) The political subdivision may require that the notice required under § 7-216(a)(3) of this subtitle be modified to disclose the effects of any actions taken under this section.
(c) Within 10 days after enacting a law, ordinance, or regulation in accordance with this section, a political subdivision shall send a copy to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Housing and Community Development.
(2) The political subdivision shall make findings as to:
(i) the nature and incidence of protected actions;
(ii) the resulting hardship to and displacement of tenants; and
(iii) the scarcity of low-income and moderate-income rental housing.
(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, on finding that there is an emergency under this section, a political subdivision may enact a law, ordinance, or regulation to:
(i) grant to a designated household a right to an extended lease for a period in addition to that granted under § 7-214 of this subtitle; or
(ii) extend any other provision of this subtitle concerning extended leases.
(2) A political subdivision may not require that:
(i) more than 20% of assisted units in an assisted project be set aside for extended leases for designated households; or
(ii) the term of an extended lease for any household made a designated household by the political subdivision exceed 3 years.
(3) The political subdivision may require that the notice required under § 7-216(a)(3) of this subtitle be modified to disclose the effects of any actions taken under this section.
(c) Within 10 days after enacting a law, ordinance, or regulation in accordance with this section, a political subdivision shall send a copy to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Housing and Community Development.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maryland?
Find a Maryland lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.