(a) Subject to State law, this Chapter regulates and determines the legal rights, remedies and obligations of the parties and beneficiaries of any rental agreement concerning any rental dwelling unit located in the County.
(b) Any provision in a rental agreement, whether written or oral, that conflicts with this chapter is unenforceable under Section 29-28. An unenforceable provision does not affect other provisions of the agreement that can be given effect without the unenforceable provision.
(c) Any dwelling unit occupied by a person who has an ownership interest in the unit or by a person who is a relative of the landlord is exempt from this Chapter. In this subsection, an ownership interest includes an interest owned by the landlord, the landlord's spouse or a minor child of either, jointly or severally, that exceeds in value 3 percent of the invested capital or capital stock of any business entity that owns or manages the dwelling unit. In this subsection, relative means:
(1) the landlord's siblings, parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren, and their spouses; and
(2) the landlord's spouse and the spouse's siblings, parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren, and their spouses.
(d) Limited equity cooperatives are not subject to this Chapter. (1972 L.M.C., ch. 27, § 1; 1983 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 2; 1984 L.M.C., ch. 23, § 2; 1985 L.M.C., ch. 31, § 19; 1985 L.M.C., ch. 40, § 1; 1992 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 1; 2000 L.M.C., ch. 32, § 1.)
Editor’s note—Section 29-4 is quoted in Joseph v. Bozzuto Management Company, 173 Md. App. 305, 918 A.2d 1230 (2007).
1983 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 13, provides in part as follows: “The amendments to chapter 29 approved by this act shall be repealed and of no force or effect on or after March 8, 1985.” This sentence was deleted by 1985 L.M.C., ch. 40, § 1, thus giving the law permanent status.
Cross reference-Applicability of County legislation within municipal corporations, § 1-203.