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<section article="ghs" article_name="Housing and Community Development" number="5-104" title_number="5" title_name="Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs" subtitle_number="1">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Office shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>develop resources to aid tenants in understanding and exercising the legal rights of tenants, including:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights, summarizing the existing rights and remedies available to residential tenants under State and federal law; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a publicly accessible website to provide access to the Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights and other relevant informational resources;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>establish points of contact within the Office by which a tenant may report a violation by a landlord or a person acting on behalf of a landlord for referral to appropriate enforcement agencies;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>provide resources to facilitate access by tenants to credit counseling;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>refer covered individuals, as defined in § 8–901 of the Real Property Article, to the Access to Counsel in Evictions Program that is administered by the Maryland Legal Services Corporation;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>collaborate with county and local governments that provide tenant advocacy and assistance;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>receive notices and other documents related to a tenant’s exclusive negotiation period and right of first refusal under § 8–119 of the Real Property Article; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>adopt regulations governing the content and delivery of notices for a tenant’s exclusive negotiation period and right of first refusal under § 8–119 of the Real Property Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>The Office may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>implement fair housing testing to ensure compliance by landlords with fair housing laws; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>identify landlords that are out of compliance with federal, State, or local law and facilitate referrals of cases to an appropriate law enforcement agency or another appropriate agency.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>On or before June 1 each year, the Office shall publish the Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights on its website.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights shall include contact information for the Office.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
