Advocacy: 19 Position Statements in Early March, 2026
- Admin
- Mar 23
- 8 min read
On our Advocacy webpage in early March 2026, CHARM Maryland stated its position on 19 bills in the Maryland General Assembly (MGA), as shown below. We strove to submit a position statement at the MGA website once the hearing for a bill was scheduled. Just a few of these bills made it out of committee and survived “Crossover Day,” March 23. At that point, on our Advocacy webpage, we featured our positions on the remaining bills that were up for debate by both the House and the Senate.
Please visit our Newsletter and Resources webpages for further commentary and analysis of issues and policies.WE ENCOURAGE YOU to read about any bill, and the text of the actual bill, at the Maryland General Assembly website. Then write directly to your legislators – at any time – telling them about your experiences as a COC homeowner and offering your opinion about a bill. To find your state legislators, select "Lookup" at this state webpage. To learn about how to submit written and/or spoken testimony at a hearing, read this three-page PDF, provided by the Economic Matters Committee of the House. Testimony must be submitted within a narrow time window, just before a scheduled hearing. But again, you can write directly to your legislators at any time.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission, OPPOSES SB332 "Master Insurance Deductible"
This bill is not in the best interest of homeowners living in condo associations because it increases their out-of-pocket expenses, goes down slippery slope of additional costs, and we don’t support the state requiring any level of insurance.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY SUPPORTS
HB402 “Common Ownership Communities – Ombudsman Unit, Governing Document Database, and Local Commissions”
A state-level Ombudsman Unit is urgently needed to look out for homeowners’ interests in common ownership communities (COCs), especially for homeowners living in Maryland counties that do not currently have a local commission to oversee resolution of problems and/or disputes. A state Ombudsman Unit will serve an essential function by collecting information, reviewing complaints, centralizing collection of COC governing documents, and reporting regularly to the Maryland Legislature and general public. Until this legislation is fully implemented in all Maryland counties, a clarification may be needed stating that the Ombudsman Unit can assist the OAG to investigate in a dispute if there is no local commission to perform an investigation.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission, OPPOSES HB405 “Condominiums and Homeowners Associations – Governing Documents – Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment"
This bill is not necessary and is in conflict with existing law (Real Property Article 11-109.2(f)). It undermines the authority of the council of unit owners. Many common ownership communities in Maryland already have installed EV recharging equipment successfully.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
OPPOSES HB453 "Grants to Seniors"
Although we support the concept of state programs to help defray costs for homeowners, there are other condo owners – in addition to seniors – impacted by ever-increasing monthly assessments (e.g., single parents, low-income families). We are also concerned with the establishment of a new grants program in the current year due to economic considerations.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY OPPOSES
HB469 “Condominiums – Mandatory Insurance Coverage”
This bill is not in the interest of homeowners living in condo associations because it will shift responsibilities and costs of the association onto the shoulder of the individual homeowner, going down a slippery slope of additional homeowner expenses. The one-size-fits-all approach to mandatory insurance coverage does not consider variability in building size, architecture, age of structures, and unique homeowner situation.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY SUPPORTS HB502 “Real Property – Governing Bodies of Common Ownership Communities –Member Training”
Because the board of directors in common ownership communities is responsible for safeguarding the fiscal, legal, and overall complex wellbeing of the community – including transparent and fair operation of all aspects of the community – compulsory, high-quality training for volunteer directors is essential.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY SUPPORTS
HB537 "Residential Owners in Common Ownership Communities - Bill of Rights"
The purpose of any bill of rights is to define limits to the powers of agents of the government. In 1689, the very first bill of rights limited the powers of the English king who was abusing the common people and their representative parliament. In 2006, a Maryland Task Force first suggested that the legal, civil, and constitutional rights of homeowners in Common Ownership Communities (COCs) were not being adequately protected. Twenty years after that report, this bill – drafted over many years – is an important step in affirming that those common rights also belong to COC homeowners. These include rights to membership in the community, participation, representation, access to information, enjoyment of privileges of membership, fair elections, fair treatment if there is a homeowner debt, and due process on the occasion of any dispute between a homeowner and their association, among other rights. Oversight of COC boards and the vendors they hire by a Maryland state agency is a key provision in this bill.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY SUPPORTS
HB702 / SB434 “Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund - Uses - Cooperative Housing Corporations and Condominiums (Co-Op and Condo Energy Refund Equity Act)”
This bill extends state-issued energy fund benefits to HOA and condo unit owners. It extends refunds or credits to them, which are provided by the Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund (MSEIF). Currently, such funds are only available to residential homeowners.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY SUPPORTS
HB 853 “Real Property - Regulation of Common Ownership Community Managers”
This bill establishes a State Licensing program in the Maryland Department of Labor, requiring licensing of all common ownership community (COC) property managers. Boards and homeowners rely heavily upon property management companies to help associations in complying with state laws that govern COCs, and for collecting and managing association funds in a fiscally responsible manner. This important licensing program will ensure that property managers meet certain minimum standards and have the experience, education, and knowledge to provide the required services. Currently, there are no such requirements or professional standards for COC property managers. This bill aims to protect the interests of Maryland individual homeowners living in COCs and to promote their financial sustainability.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
OPPOSES
HB855 “Common Ownership Communities – Candidate or Proposition Signs – Display Period”
By increasing from 30 to 45 days the current prohibition to display candidate or proposition signs, this bill further restricts residents and homeowners living in common ownership communities (COC) from expressing personal support or opinions by displaying signs, unlike other homeowners in Maryland who can currently freely exercise that right. No explanation or justification is offered for this increased prohibition. Democratic principles allow electioneering to happen even during voting, with spatial restrictions – e.g., forbidding political signs very close to the polling place – but not “days before voting” restrictions.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY OPPOSES
HB955 / SB955 “Real Property - Condominiums and Homeowners Associations – Elections”
This bill would discourage, and perhaps prevent, nominations from the floor, which cannot be anticipated until the meeting of the members occurs. It is not in line with democratic principles.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
SUPPORTS
HB956 “Condominiums – Buildings More Than 40 Years Old – Study”
This bill requires the Maryland State Department of Housing and Community Development to perform an inventory-type study of condo buildings older than 40 years in the state. The study will gather key demographic data regarding who lives in older condominiums (homeowners' age and income levels) as well as current vs required reserve fund levels for each building. Such data will be useful for legislators to better understand the state of maintenance needs for older condominium buildings, the adequacy of COC reserve funding, and potential impacts on homeowners. We suggest a stipulation in the bill requiring high security for safeguarding all personal information of unit owners participating in the study.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY SUPPORTS
HB1132 “Condominiums and Homeowners Associations - Resale Contracts - Notice Requirements (Keeping Affordable Housing Affordable Act)”
This bill requires greater transparency in the resale of common ownership community (COC) properties. It requires more open and comprehensive disclosure than are currently required. The notifications must be made prior to contracting the sale of the property, and thus potential buyers can learn about a community's financial status and future expenditure obligations. For example, the bill requires that disclosures include information about annual fee increases over the past 3 years.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
OPPOSES
HB1201 “Condominiums and Homeowners Associations - Reserve Studies – Exemptions”
This bill exempts some smaller associations (with 50 or less single-family homes) from Reserve Fund Study (RFS) requirements. It does not consider a community's existing needs for maintaining common elements. The bill raises the possibility that homeowners will be unable to insure or re-sell units in communities without a RFS funding plan.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY OPPOSES
HB1211 / SB633 “Condominiums - Unit Owner Responsibility for Damage or Destruction”
This bill is economically unfair, as it could place a huge financial burden on homeowners living in condominiums. It switches the current responsibility for certain damages from the association to the unit owner. It replaces the current requirement for a unit owner’s insurance to cover a maximum of $10,000 to coverage for the full cost of repairing and replacing damaged property.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY SUPPORTS
HB1362 “Condominiums and Homeowners Associations - Meetings - Recording Requirements”
This bill greatly increases transparency and accountability in common ownership communities (COCs) by requiring the recording of meetings and the protection of meeting recordings, which will allow greater access to records by COC unit owners.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
STRONGLY SUPPORTS
HB1506 “Condominiums and Homeowners Associations - New Owner Fees – Limitations”
This bill requires full disclosure of costs to new unit owners, and it limits the assessment of extra fees, which are not to exceed existing annual assessments. The bill also prohibits capital contribution charges to new owners.
*** **
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
SUPPORTS
HB1577 “Common Ownership Communities - Common Areas - Approval of Alterations”
This bill ensures greater transparency and control of expenditures – for proposed alterations of common areas by unit owners – by requiring approval by a majority of the unit owners.
CHARM Maryland, in furtherance of our Vision and Mission,
SUPPORTS
HB1615 / SB576 “Cooperative Housing Corporations and Condominiums - Emergency Use of Reserve Funds”
This bill limits the use of reserve funds beyond those uses specified in the spending plan or for "emergency" purposes only.The current law allows boards of common ownership communities (COCs) to use reserve funds for unspecified purposes other than those intended mainly for maintenance or repairs to the communities commonly held elements. [Note 1]
* **
Note 1. Correction: On March 4, we deleted a passage from the explanation of SB576. Our position has not changed.
