New Rockville Landlord-Tenant Code to Be Adopted June 29
On Monday, June 29, the Rockville Mayor and Council is scheduled to introduce and adopt the revised Rental Facilities and Landlord-Tenant Relations Code.
Following the Mayor and Council discussion and public feedback on May 18, staff carefully reviewed the comments received and made several revisions to improve clarity and address stakeholder concerns. The changes strengthen implementation while maintaining the policy direction established by the Mayor and Council. The revised draft ordinance will be considered at the June 29 Mayor and Council meeting.
Some of the changes made to the draft ordinance include:
Added definitions for “written notice,” “tenant organization,” and “non-public competitor data.”
Clarified sections related to the Enhanced Inspections Program, security deposits, inspectors accessing rental units, secure storage fees, and more.
Amended language to allow landlords to increase rents during a two-year lease, but the rent increase must be disclosed prior to entering into the lease.
Added exceptions allowing landlords to:
Charge fees for credit card processing and bounced checks.
Introduce utility cost recovery structures or ratio utility billing.
Third-party websites to the disclosure of all mandatory fees whenever a price is advertised or disclosed.
Extended from 45 days to 120 days the period during which landlords are prohibited from charging a fee for any charge for which the landlord failed to request from the tenant.
To learn more about the project to update the city’s landlord-tenant code, visit Engage Rockville.
You can watch and participate in the June 29 meeting. Meetings are broadcast live on Rockville 11, livestreamed and available online a day after each meeting. Community members are welcome to attend in person in the Mayor and Council chamber at City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please complete the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form.
