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<section article="grp" article_name="Real Property" number="8-212.4" title_number="8" title_name="Landlord and Tenant" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Residential Leases">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Dwelling unit” means that portion of a building that is designated, intended, or arranged for use or occupancy as a residence by one or more persons, including a rented room in a single–family house.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Landlord” means:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>An owner of residential rental property that offers two or more dwelling units for rent on one parcel; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A person acting on behalf of a landlord.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Master meter” means a meter used to measure, for billing purposes, all usage of a particular utility for a landlord’s residential rental property, including usage for common elements of the residential rental property and dwelling units.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Ratio utility billing system” means allocation of one or more of a landlord’s utility charges, collected via a master meter, among the tenants by any method that does not measure actual per–tenant usage for the utility.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>“Utility” means:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Electricity usage;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Gas usage;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Wastewater and sewage disposal service usage; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Water consumption or usage.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>This section does not apply to residential rental property in:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>A condominium organized under Title 11 of this article; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A cooperative project organized under Title 5, Subtitle 6B of the Corporations and Associations Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If a landlord uses a ratio utility billing system to bill tenants for one or more utilities, the landlord shall provide the following information to all prospective tenants in writing:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A statement that the tenant will be billed by the landlord for allocated utility services and that identifies all utilities at issue;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A copy of the last two utility bills issued to the landlord;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A description of the method that will be used to allocate the cost of the utility to the tenant, by utility;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>A statement that any disputes relating to the computation of the tenant’s bill are between the tenant and the landlord;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>The average monthly bill for all dwelling units in the residential rental property in the previous calendar year, by utility;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>A statement that the tenant has the right to inspect records retained by the landlord that document a bill for utilities on written request;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>Information regarding any additional service charges or administrative fees to be paid by the tenant for the operation of the ratio utility billing system; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>A citation to this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A lease provision that requires a tenant to pay the utility charges billed to the tenant under a ratio utility billing system shall be unenforceable if the landlord fails to provide the information required under paragraph (1) of this subsection to the tenant in writing.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>A landlord who uses a ratio utility billing system shall, on written request by a tenant, allow a tenant to inspect records retained by the landlord that document a bill for utilities.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A county or municipal corporation may enact local laws consistent with this section governing:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The information a landlord is required to provide to a tenant;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Disclosure requirements; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Document retention policies.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any local law or ordinance that is comparable in subject matter to this section shall supersede the provisions of this section to the extent that the local law or ordinance is more stringent or provides stronger protection or broader applicability than this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
