Beat the Heat: Maryland’s New A/C Requirements for Certain Residential Rental Units

By Anastacia Topaltzas, Esquire

Legal Overview – the A/C Requirements: Good news Maryland renters, the summer months are going to start feeling a lot cooler thanks to House Bill 153. From June 1 through September 30 of each year, landlords are now required to provide air-conditioning (A/C) in certain residential units located in apartment buildings with 10 or more units.[1] For A/C systems under the control of the landlord, the A/C system must be maintained at 80 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, measured three feet above the floor.[2] For systems under the tenant’s control, the landlord must make sure that the A/C system is in “good working order” and is capable of maintaining the aforementioned temperature and height requirement.[3]

 Timing: Beginning June 1, 2026, landlords are required to provide A/C: (1) for newly constructed residential rental units, and (2) for units where, at any time on or after January 1, 2025, the lease required the landlord to provide A/C or the landlord supplied the unit with A/C.[4] The timing is prospective in nature, meaning these regulations do not apply to any building construction/renovation for which the permit was issued prior to June 1, 2026.

Exceptions: Note that residential rental units located on property listed on the National Register of Historic Places are exempt from the roll out of these new A/C laws.[5]

County Specific Considerations: Although Montgomery County was the only Maryland county that required landlords to provide A/C in residential rental units, Anne Arundel County and Prince George’s County also had ordinances governing A/C in rental housing.[6] In Anne Arundel County, if an owner of a residential rental property containing multiple dwelling units provided A/C, the owner was required to keep the system in good working order and ensure that the system was capable of meeting certain (unspecified) temperature levels.[7] The owner was also required to provide alternative cooling relief if the A/C system needed repair.[8] Similarly, Prince George’s County required landlords who provided A/C in residential rental units to maintain the system in a safe and operable condition and to repair it when necessary.[9] Moreover, in Prince George’s County, landlords who fail to maintain the A/C system as required may be fined up to five hundred dollars ($500).[10] Ultimately, House Bill 153 establishes a uniform, statewide A/C standard for residential rental units that will allow residential tenants to (hopefully) ditch their fans.

[1] Md. Code Ann., Real Prop. § 8-122(a)(1)(2026); § 8-122(c).

[2] Real Prop. § 8-122(c)(1).

[3] Real Prop. § 8-122(c)(2).

[4] MD Gen. Assemb., Dep’t of Leg. Serv., Fiscal and Policy Note on H.B. 153 (3d Reader Rev., 2026 Reg. Sess.), https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/fnotes/bil_0003/hb0153.pdf.

[5] Real Prop. § 8-122(a)(2).

[6] Anne Arundel Cty., Md., Bill No. 79-25 (2025); Prince George’s Cty. Code § 13-162.02.

[7] Anne Arundel Cty., Md., Bill No. 79-25 (2025).

[8] Id.

[9] Prince George’s Cty. Code § 13-162.02.

[10] Id.

Contact a PK Law Corporate and Real Estate Attorney to learn more about how to efficiently manage your business risk, save on administrative and other costs, and gain flexibility in your business operations.

Anastacia Topaltzas is an Associate in the Firm’s Corporate and Real Estate Group. Anastacia primarily focuses her work on business formation, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and intellectual property. Special thanks to PK Law Summer Law Clerk Gillian Birdsong for her assistance in drafting this article. Gillian is currently attending the University of Maryland Francis King Carey Law School.