The purpose of this chapter is to provide requirements relating to leased or rented residences benefitting from weatherization assistance performed by the Department of Housing and Community Development pursuant to Public Utilities Article, §7-224(e), Annotated Code of Maryland. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. Terms Defined. “Building owner” means an owner of a low-income residential property, including the owner’s agents and assignees. “Department” means the Department of Housing and Community Development, a principal department of the State. “Lease” means any oral or written agreement, express or implied, creating a landlord and tenant relationship, including any “sublease.” “Low-income program” means a program of the Department that provides funds or services to provide energy efficiency and energy conservation measures, including weatherization assistance, to buildings occupied by income-eligible households, causing those buildings to become more energy efficient or to increase energy conservation. “Low-income residential property” means a unit, building, or community of buildings, with residents who qualify for the low-income programs. “Tenant” means a person lawfully occupying a low-income residential property pursuant to a lease. “Weatherization assistance” means the installation of materials to protect the interior of a building from outside elements. The regulations in this chapter apply to building owners who lease low-income residential properties to tenants and who obtain weatherization assistance through the low-income programs for those properties. When a building owner obtains weatherization assistance for a low-income residential property, the benefits thereof, including utility bill reduction and preservation of affordable housing stock, must accrue primarily to tenants. After a building owner obtains weatherization assistance for a unit of a low-income residential property, a building owner may not: Increase rent for the unit as a result of the weatherization assistance; or Terminate a lease or evict any tenant as a result of the weatherization assistance. Violation of any part of this section by the building owner may result in the building owner being required to repay the Department for the low-income program’s share of the cost of the weatherization assistance. Public Utilities Article, §7-224(e), Annotated Code of Effective date: September 1, 2025 (52:17 Md. R. 874)