08/21/2026
Please Share. I wanted to make sure Baltimore City property owners are aware of Council Bill 25-0087, which is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday, August 25 at 5:15 PM.
As currently proposed, the bill would require housing providers to retain belongings left behind after an eviction for a minimum period, with the possibility of storage extending up to 30 days. MMHA has raised concerns regarding increased vacancy time, additional costs, liability, and potential safety issues for owners and property staff.
If you own or manage property in Baltimore City and have concerns about this legislation, now is the time to make your voice heard.
What you can do:
Email the Housing & Economic Development Committee and City Council President Zeke Cohen and ask them to oppose Bill 25-0087 or delay the hearing until stakeholders have had an opportunity to review any proposed amendments.
Attend the hearing on Tuesday, August 25 at 5:15 PM at Baltimore City Hall.
Committee contacts:
James Torrence — [email protected]
Antonio Glover — [email protected]
Jermaine Jones — [email protected]
Odette Ramos — [email protected]
Zac Blanchard — [email protected]
Council President Zeke Cohen — [email protected]
A simple message can be:
“Dear Council Member, I am a Baltimore City housing provider and respectfully ask that you vote NO on Council Bill 25-0087. I am concerned that the proposed reclamation period could increase vacancy time, operating costs, safety concerns, and liability for housing providers. Please consider the impact this legislation could have on Baltimore’s rental housing market.”
Regardless of your position, I strongly encourage local owners to review the bill and make sure your voice is heard before the hearing.
Additional Information:
As introduced, following an eviction in Baltimore City, the housing provider would be required to retain the possessions left behind during the eviction for a minimum of 10 days at no cost to the former tenant. Within those 10 days, the former tenant may request, in writing, that the housing provider store the property for up to 30 days following the eviction - a request that the housing provider will be required to adhere to. We have argued the following:
Bill 25-0087 will increase rents in Baltimore City: This proposed legislation will lead to an artificial increase in rents and will permanently disrupt the rental housing market in Baltimore City. A reclamation period could increase a rental housing providers’ costs by delaying their ability to clean, repair, and re-rent a unit after an eviction, extending vacancy periods and carrying costs. Those additional costs may ultimately be reflected in higher rents across the property as housing providers seek to recover increased operating expenses. As the only jurisdiction in the State with a reclamation period, Baltimore City would become a pariah and an outlier to housing providers statewide. Neighboring jurisdictions, including Montgomery, Howard, and Anne Arundel Counties, have recently updated their tenant notice requirements and procedures into local law without enacting a local reclamation period.
For housing providers who are repossessing the property after what has likely been 60-90 days of unpaid rent in Baltimore City, the housing provider needs to recover the property as soon as possible to begin recouping losses. Any arbitrary reclamation period, coming at no cost for the tenant, constitutes a taking and only compounds housing providers’ losses and one less housing unit on the rental market for an extended period of time. Housing providers will be left with no choice but to increase rental rates in Baltimore City to cover the loss as a result of units being artificially off the market.
Bill 25-0087 Creates Significant Public Safety Concerns: In addition to the financial concerns and the artificial constraint on housing entering the rental market, We have serious public safety concerns with a reclamation period. Evictions are an emotional and tense undertaking for residents and housing providers. Unless there is a guarantee that there will be a public safety presence at the time of which an evicted tenant comes back to reclaim property, any reclamation period runs the risk of harm to our staff members or other residents of the community. Without a public safety presence, there is nothing to prevent an evicted tenant from attempting to reclaim the rental unit by force, exposing the property to the potential for “squatting” situations to arise.
Bill 25-0087 Exposes Housing Providers to Significant Liability: Lastly, housing providers holding the personal property for an evicted tenant under a reclamation period are exposed to significant liability for the possessions left behind. For example: former tenants may falsely claim that there were high value items or items with personal identifiable identification in the leased premises following an eviction. Dangerous possessions, such as fi****ms or illegal substances, may be left behind during the eviction – posing a serious safety concern for staff and other residents in the apartment communities for the duration of the reclamation period.
1. Contact members of the Housing & Economic Development Committee and ask for a delay to the public hearing. The stakeholders have not been adequately informed of what is in this legislation nor is this meeting being properly advertised - we deserve to know what is being proposed ahead of the Committee hearing.
Chair James Torrence - [email protected] - 410-396-4810
Councilman Antonio "Tony" Glover - [email protected] - 410-396-4829
Councilman Jermaine Jones - [email protected] - 410-396-4811
Councilwoman Odette Ramos - [email protected] - 410-396-4814
Councilman Zac Blanchard - [email protected] - 410-396-4816
2. Show up on Tuesday, August 25th at 5:15pm. We will fight for the industry as we always have - but it helps to have visible support from the industry. While testifying would be encouraged (and we would be more than happy to assist you on that), we are looking for you to show up and pack the City Hall Chambers. The Committee needs to know that the industry is here and is carefully watching the outcome of this legislation.
