Sec. 13-150.01. Definitions

Applicant means any person who applies or intends to apply to lease or rent housing in the County to include any person who resides or will reside with a person who applies to lease or rent housing in the County.

Arrest means apprehended, detained, taken into custody, held for investigation, or otherwise restrained by a law enforcement agency or military authority due to an accusation or suspicion that the person committed a crime.

Arrest Record means information indicating that a person has been apprehended, detained, taken into custody, held for investigation, or otherwise restrained by a law enforcement agency or military authority due to an accusation or suspicion that the person committed a crime.

Conditional Offer means an offer to rent or lease a Rental Housing Unit to an Applicant that is contingent on a subsequent inquiry into the applicant's Arrest Record, Conviction Record, Pending Accusation, or any other eligibility criteria that the Housing Provider may lawfully utilize.

Conviction means a sentence arising from a guilty verdict, plea of guilty, plea of nolo contender, or Alford plea including a sentence of incarceration, a fine, a penalty, suspended sentence, or a sentence of probation. Conviction does not mean a probation before judgment.

Conviction Record means information regarding a sentence arising from a guilty verdict, plea of guilty, plea of nolo contender, or Alford plea including a sentence of incarceration, a fine, a penalty, suspended sentence, or a sentence of probation to include a finding of abuse pursuant to § 3-1505 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Maryland Code, § 4-506 of the Family Law Article of the Maryland Code, or extreme risk pursuant to § 5-605 Public Safety.

Housing Provider means a landlord, an owner, lessor, sublessor, assignee, or their or its agent, or other person receiving or entitled to receive rents or benefits for the use or occupancy of any Rental Dwelling Unit. Housing Provider includes the County government, but not the United States, the State, or any other local government.

Inquiry or Inquire means any direct or indirect conduct intended to gather criminal history information from or about an Applicant using any method, including application forms, interviews, or criminal history checks.

Pending Accusation means an existing written accusation that the Applicant has committed a crime, abused another, or is at risk of endangering another in the form of an indictment, information, petition for extreme risk protective order, petition for peace order, or petition for protective order.

Rental Housing Unit means a dwelling unit offered for rent by a Housing Provider for residential purposes, other than a dwelling unit in an owner-occupied premises of not more than three (3) units.