§ 11-140. Legislative intent; local legislative finding and declaration of rental housing emergency; local laws and regulations to meet emergency; copies

   (a) Legislative intent. -- The intent of the General Assembly of Maryland is to facilitate the orderly development of condominiums in Maryland. The General Assembly recognizes, however, that the conversion of rental dwellings to condominiums can have an adverse impact on the availability of rental units, resulting in the displacement of tenants.

(b) Local legislative finding and declaration of rental housing emergency. -- A county or incorporated municipality may, by legislative finding, recognize and declare that a rental housing emergency exists in all or part of its jurisdiction and has been caused by the conversion of rental housing to condominiums. The jurisdiction shall consider and make findings as to:

   (1) The nature and incidence of condominium conversions;

   (2) The resulting hardship to and displacement of tenants; and

   (3) The scarcity of rental housing.

(c) Local regulations and laws to meet emergency. -- Upon finding and declaration of a rental housing emergency caused by the conversion of rental housing to condominiums, a county or an incorporated municipality may by the enactment of laws, ordinances, and regulations, take the following actions to meet the emergency:

   (1) Grant to a designated family as defined in § 11-137 of this title a right to an extended lease for a period in addition to that period provided for in § 11-137 of this title. The right to an extended lease may not, in any event, result in a requirement that a developer set aside for an extended lease more than 20 percent of the total number of units.

   (2) Otherwise extend any of the provisions of § 11-137 of this title except that:

      (i) More than 20 percent of the total number of units may not be required to be set aside; and

      (ii) The term of an extended lease for any family made a designated family by a county or an incorporated municipality may not exceed 3 years.

   (3) Require that the notice required to be given under § 11-102.1 of this title be altered to disclose the effects of any actions taken under this section.

(d) Copies. -- Within 10 days of the enactment of a law, ordinance, or regulation under this section, a county or incorporated municipality shall forward a copy of the law, ordinance or regulation to the Secretary of State.

HISTORY: 1981, ch. 246; 1982, ch. 836, § 3; 1989, ch. 5, § 1; 1997, ch. 14, § 1.