Maryland
SB 335 / Chapter 773 What Property Managers Need to Know
Maryland property owners with 6 or more residential rental units must offer residents the option to report positive rent payments. Here’s what Multifamily Operators need to know and how to meet the requirement without adding more work to their teams.
What the Bill Requires
Maryland Senate Bill 335 / Chapter 773 requires property managers with six or more units to offer residents the option to report positive rent payments to at least one consumer reporting agency.
What
Offer the Option in the Lease
The property’s written lease must give residents the option to have their positive rent payments reported to at least one consumer reporting agency.
Who
6 or More Residential Units
This applies if you own six or more residential rental units in Maryland. Those units can be in the same building or spread across several properties.
When
At Signing, Then Every Year
Leases signed on or after October 1, 2026, must include the offer at signing. For leases signed before then, deliver the offer by January 1, 2027. After that, make the offer at least once a year.
Cost
Optional Fee, Capped at $10/month
You may charge residents who opt in a monthly fee of up to $10 or your actual cost, whichever is lower. The fee isn't rent and can't be reported to a credit bureau. Many operators skip the fee and offer reporting as a free benefit.
Scope
Positive Payment History Only
Only complete, positive payments are reported. Late and partial payments are not. Residents can stop reporting anytime with a written request, then must wait six months to re-enroll.
Rent reporting legislation changes frequently. This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your obligations with counsel.
How IDIQ Helps Your Team
IDIQ turns Maryland’s required rent reporting into a recurring operational process. We deliver the offer, capture a written election, track the annual re-offer, handle stop requests, and keep proof for residents who decline. We run the resident-facing program so your property teams aren't building that workflow from scratch.
Offer Delivery
IDIQ handles the offer delivery. We send the opt-in offer to residents by mail or email, so your leasing team doesn't have to manage it.
Elections and Declines on Record
IDIQ maintains all written documentation to prove compliance with SB 335 / CB 773 documentation requirements.
Annual Re-Offers, Tracked per Resident
Automated annual reminders and re-offer tracking ensure you stay compliant with the requirement to present the option to residents every year.
Positive Rent Payment Reporting
Once a resident opts in, IDIQ reports positive rental payment history to the 3 bureaus. Late and missed payments stay out, exactly as the statute defines it.
Resident Support
IDIQ handles resident questions and enrollment support, reducing administrative burden on your leasing staff.
Opt-Outs and Refresh Dates
IDIQ track resident opt-in and opt-out decisions and automatically manage renewal dates, keeping your compliance calendar organized and current.
Compliance Residents Actually Notice
Leasing
TransUnion's 2025 rent payment reporting study found renters are significantly more likely to choose a property that reports rent. Compliance becomes a leasing talking point rather than a disclosure.
Positive Payments
The same research links rent reporting to stronger positive payment behavior. Residents building credit have a direct reason to pay by the due date.
Retention
A credit-building benefit gives residents another reason to renew. Paired with resident financial wellness, it can strengthen the case for staying.
Build the Process In-House or Run it with a Partner
Building rent reporting in-house means owning enrollment, consent records, bureau reporting, and disputes. With IDIQ, that's handled.
In-house
You Build In-House
In-house reporting puts the operational and compliance weight on your team.
- Your team must comply with Maryland's six-unit threshold—identifying which units qualify for rent reporting and managing enrollment accordingly.
- You manage the required written election process, obtaining resident consent annually and ensuring re-offer documentation meets state standards.
- You handle annual re-offer obligations and manage the six-month re-enrollment restriction, requiring systems to track enrollment windows and prevent duplicate reporting.
- Your team ensures all reporting follows Maryland's delivery rules and submission requirements to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion as a registered data furnisher.
IDIQ
You Partner with IDIQ
Partnership with IDIQ delivers a specialized provider—so your team stays focused on occupancy, retention, and NOI.
- IDIQ manages your property's compliance. We help identify which units qualify and automate enrollment management for eligible residents.
- We handle the required written election process on your behalf, obtaining and maintaining resident consent documentation that meets Maryland state standards.
- IDIQ manages annual re-offer obligations and tracks the six-month re-enrollment restriction, ensuring your reporting stays compliant with Maryland's enrollment windows and prevents duplicate reporting.
- We serve as your registered data furnisher with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, ensuring all reporting follows Maryland's delivery rules and ongoing bureau compliance requirements.
Empower Your Residents. Grow Your NOI.
Tell us about your portfolio, or book a 20-minute walkthrough with our multi-family team. Partnering with IDIQ® comes at no cost to get started.
FAQs
The six-unit threshold is statewide. A landlord must own six or more residential rental units in Maryland to be subject to the rent reporting requirement. This means if you own six or more units across one or multiple properties in the state, you must comply.
SB 335 takes effect on October 1, 2026. For new leases entered into on or after October 1, 2026, landlords must offer positive rental payment history reporting at the time of the lease agreement. For leases entered into before October 1, 2026, the offer must be made no later than January 1, 2027, and at least once annually thereafter.
Landlords must deliver the offer of positive rental payment history reporting to tenants by one of three methods: first-class mail with a certificate of mailing, a delivery service that provides delivery tracking and confirmation, or electronic delivery if the tenant has elected to receive notices from the landlord electronically. If delivered by first-class mail, the landlord must provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the tenant to return the written election.
Landlords may charge a fee not to exceed the lesser of the actual cost to provide the service or $10 per month. The fee cannot be counted as rent, credited toward rent obligations, or reported to a consumer reporting agency. If a tenant fails to pay the fee for 30 days or more, the landlord may stop reporting and the tenant cannot re-elect reporting for at least 6 months.
Yes. A tenant may elect to stop positive rental payment history reporting at any time by submitting a written request to the landlord. The landlord must comply with the request.
A tenant who stops reporting cannot re-elect positive rental payment history reporting for at least 6 months after the date of their written request to stop reporting. After the six-month period expires, tenants can request to resume reporting.