Sale of Residential Real Property - Required Flood Risk Disclosure

New flood-risk disclosures for home sales

The law creates a standard flood-risk form for Maryland home sales. It covers homes with four or fewer single-family units; new builds, foreclosures, court-ordered or fiduciary sales, some transfer-tax-exempt deals, nonresidential conversions, and unimproved land are exempt. The form shows if the home is in high- or moderate-risk FEMA flood zones and whether flood insurance is federally required. It also lists the seller’s flood policy, any FEMA Elevation Certificate, any federal disaster aid or flood claims (including NFIP), and any known flood damage, seepage, or pooling from natural events. Starting July 1, 2027, sellers must give buyers the filled form before any contract. If available, they must also give a FEMA Elevation Certificate, an accounting of flood-claim payments, and the number of flooding events; the Department of the Environment publishes the form by June 1, 2027; the law takes effect October 1, 2026.