Howard County has announced the new LIVE (Landlord accountability, Investment in quality, Victim protection, and Eviction prevention) initiative to address and reduce landlord-tenant issues.
Under LIVE, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball will submit legislation to the Howard County Council regarding the eviction process and has signed an Executive Order addressing habitability concerns experienced by tenants.
From the county press release:
In Howard County, approximately 30 percent of households live in rental properties. Unfortunately, too many of our tenants face unresolved or reoccurring habitability issues that can affect their health and safety. Today, we are taking steps to support tenants and landlords by exploring an increase in rental housing enforcement and new avenues to resolve disputes, providing greater accessibility to landlord/tenant education and resources, and offering more interagency coordination to eliminate delays in complaint processing. – Calvin Ball, Howard County Executive
During its December 2025 meeting, Howard County’s Advisory Board of Consumer Protection’s, which works with the Office of Consumer Protection, unanimously voted to recommend that the County amend Howard County Code Sec. 17.1000. Under this section of the County Code, landlords are currently required to give notice to their tenant at least six days written notice before the scheduled date of eviction is to be executed. At the recommendation of the Board and as permitted under Md. Code Ann., Real Property § 8-407(e)(1), Ball’s proposed legislation increases the six-day notice to at least 14 days. The legislation also establishes a penalty in the form of a CLASS A violation if a landlord fails to provide proper notice and requires that a landlord include with the notice a written statement that identifies a website established by OCP and informs tenants that information and resources related to evictions are available on the website created by OCP.
This expanded time frame provides:
- Tenants with additional time to make other arrangements and/or access resources provided by DHCD to avoid homelessness. Residents experiencing homelessness must contact Grassroots Crisis Intervention‘s hotline at 410-531-6677 to be assessed for services.
- A tenant’s legal counsel with more time to challenge legal issues of the eviction.
Additionally, the Executive Order (EO) aims to address habitability concerns experienced by tenants by expanding and strengthening the County departments and offices that handle landlord-tenant complaints. This order will:
- Empower tenants and landlords with information as to their rights and requirements under the law;
- Remove language barriers to access resources;
- Expand resources to those experiencing a housing crisis; and
- Create efficient complaint processes with alternative ways to resolve disputes.
