Residential Real Property - Local Limits on Summoning Law Enforcement or Emergency Services

Housing protections for Maryland emergency callers

Beginning July 1, 2025, Maryland counties and municipalities cannot adopt or enforce residential nuisance rules based on call-count thresholds. They also cannot use local laws to punish property operators, owners, owner-occupants, or tenants because anyone calls for help. Covered services include police, fire, rescue, ambulance, and mobile crisis teams. Call-based fines, eviction or repossession, lease termination or nonrenewal, and rental-license suspension, revocation, or nonrenewal are presumed unlawful. Local rules on residential security alarms, property condition, sanitation, upkeep, repairs, and parking remain allowed. An exception also covers police calls about gatherings or excessive noise involving no criminal offense, when knowingly false or intended to harass. Short-term rentals lasting fewer than 31 consecutive days are excluded. Covered people can use these protections as a defense against local enforcement or sue for damages caused by enforcement. If they win, courts can award reasonable damages, attorney’s fees, court costs, rental-license reinstatement, and other appropriate relief against the locality.