LEGISLATIVE ALERT - February 2, 2023
Dwayne Mingo, Director of Government Affairs
Contact Your County Council Member Today!
Prince George's County Council Considering Rent Control
The Prince George's County Council has introduced CB-7-2023 the Rent Stabilization Act of 2023. Under CB-7-2023 a landlord would be prohibited from increasing rent in amount not exceeding three (3%) annually, nor would a landlord be able to issue a notice of rent increase, late fees, or penalties during a six-month (6) period or longer if the bill is enacted. PGCAR stands OPPOSED to this legislation.
As REALTORS®, we represent the residential single family housing providers. Many of these individuals are your mom-and-pop housing providers, military personnel that are deployed overseas, clients that have relocated for employment, all who have placed their homes into the rental market. Many of these housing providers were already restricted with the federal, state, and local mandates that had been imposed in 2020 to protect renters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
REALTORS® do not believe that CB-7-2023 will solve the problem of access to affordable housing and the measure's impact could result in exacerbating the problem or have direct adverse effects by driving away from rental properties and/or limiting investments and maintenance of those properties. Years of research shows rent control can reduce the overall amount of affordable housing and may not help those who need it the most. Studies of rent restriction laws in St. Paul, Boston and Berkley showed decreases in rental units when compared to adjacent non-regulated markets.
The Prince George's County Association of REALTORS® Legislative Committee extensively reviewed CB-7-2023 (The Rental Stabilization Act of 2023) and testified before the Health, Human Services and Public Safety Committee in OPPOSITION to the bill for the following reasons:
- Rent control and rent stabilization are infringements upon private property rights.
- Property owners have the right to set rents at market rate.
- Rent control and rent stabilization put unreasonable costs and burdens upon property owners without compensation.
- Rent Control and rent stabilization create market distortions and allocate housing inefficiently.
- Lost revenue under rent control measures reduces the ability for the property owner to maintain and improve the property.
- Rent control discourages the production of new rental dwellings in the private sector.
- As residential rentals lose value due to the restriction on rents, property tax assessments decrease along with the property tax base. Therefore, other property owners would eventually pay more in taxes or fees as a result.
PGCAR needs your help to defeat this legislation. We encourage you to share this information with your sales team, associates and colleagues. In addition, please contact the County Council and tell them, as constituents and individuals, that you are OPPOSED to CB 7. Council Representatives can be reached as follows:
| Elected Official / District | Telephone Number |
| Council Member Tom Dernoga, Chair, District 1 | (301) 952-3887 |
| Council Member Wala Blegay, Vice Chair, District 6 | (301) 952-3426 |
| Council Member Wanika Fisher, District 2 | (301) 952-4436 |
| Council Member Eric C. Olson, District 3 | (301) 952-3060 |
| Council Member Ingrid S. Watson, District 4 | (301) 952-3094 |
| Council Member Jolene Ivey, District 5 | (301) 952-3864 |
| Council Member Krystal Oriadha, District 7 | (301) 952-3690 |
| Council Member Edward P. Burroughs, III, District 8 | (301) 952-3860 |
| Council Member Sydney J. Harrison, District 9 | (301) 952-3820 |
| Council Member Mel Franklin, At-Large | (301) 952-2638 |
| Council Member Calvin S. Hawkins, II, At-Large | (301) 952-2195 |
Should you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Dwayne Mingo, Director of Government Affairs for the Association at (301) 306-7900 or by email at dmingo@pgcar.com.
