Category Archives: Baltimore City Rental Inspection

Baltimore City Law Dept Issues Scathing Review of Proposed Baltimore City Rental Property Bill

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Highlights from the Februrary 2026 committee meeting for the new rental property bill 25-0141 Rental Dwelling Health and Safety Enforcement Act. In a huge win for landlord privacy and constitutional rights, the City Law Dept wrote an opinion that the extensive and invasive sections of the bill must be removed.  Other big updates:

  • Committee president suggested they make the bill budget-neutral by increasing fees for property registration and licensing. (we knew it was only a matter of time)

The Baltimore City Law Dept: “this bill’s extensive disclosure requirements for property owning corporations in the registration statements must be removed because they are not related to any legitimate government interest in rental property and compel
speech that is not necessary to further a government purpose as a company’s listed owners are not always the people to contact for tenant issues nor the ones to be named in legal actions.

During the hearing, Sponsor Odette Ramos said the proposed bill would:

  • expand licensing to all rental units
  • create a rental-property receivership option for the most egregious owners
  • require audits of up to 100–200 licensed units per year by City inspectors
  • require ownership disclosure on the licensing portal including all names and addresses of anyone with a 25% stake in the rental business
  • condition licenses on payment of outstanding water bills in some cases
  • prohibit landlords from threatening to report tenants to immigration authorities
  • require training for property managers of buildings with 20 or more units.
  • “If you threaten to call ICE on our residents, we will revoke your license,” Ramos said.The bill needs work, said Odette Ramos.

Link to a recording of the committee meeting.

Highlights from my notes:

1:46. Ramos asks City Law Dept if City can undertake a certification process of licensed Maryland Home Inspectors. Law Dept says how can we say inspectors aren’t qualified if the State of Maryland says they are qualified?

1:49. Law Dept has concerns with the 8-year rule for inspectors (can’t use the same rental inspector more than once in 8 years). If the state says they are qualified, how can we prevent them from doing rental inspections? Law Dept has alternate suggestion to deal with bad inspectors — refer them to the State for penalty or license revocation.

***Note: Earlier Ramos thanked the Law Dept, said they accepted much of the department’s advice and feedback, but not all. (for example, Law Dept raised 1st amendment issues re: withholding a license if the landlord makes certain speech regarding immigration.

2:20: Finance Dept estimates doing the 100-200 audits per year would require 2-3 full time inspectors (!)
Says it’s late in the budget process for a bill this costly.

Odette Ramos indicated there is much work to do on this bill. They are considering amendments.

More to follow…

How We Perform Baltimore City Rental Inspection?

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We the Shell Home Inspections are licensed.  We are also insured Maryland Home Inspectors located in 3235 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore. Shell Home Inspections is specialized in Baltimore City Rental Inspection and Baltimore County Rental Inspection providing full home inspections, and for our investor clients we also provide purchase consultations. As Baltimore Home Inspectors we proudly service the entire metro area. Our signature traits are integrity and attention to detail.

Baltimore City Rental Inspection

Why you need a Baltimore City Rental Inspection before renting?

All initial Baltimore City Rental License are issued for two-year time span. After the initial two-year time frame Baltimore Rental License will be renewed for periods of one or a few years dependent on the infringement history for the property and timeliness in responding to any violations. So frequently a rental property goes uninspected by the landowners because of a lack of time, priority and attention. We face distinctive sort of circumstances constantly. Allow us to clarify you why the examination ought to be done appropriately.

All in all, who does the Baltimore County Rental Inspections? The proprietor can be simply the property director in the event that they can oversee it. The property supervisor is the landowner; they ought to review the need. On the off chance that the proprietor has recruited out a property administrator, at that point that property chief is the landowner. However, numerous proprietors need to understand that on the off chance that they are self-overseeing it, they are the landowner, they are the property supervisor, and ought to do Baltimore County Rental Inspections on a normal premise. On the off chance that it’s employed out, this is the property supervisor’s duty.

1. Responsibility

The first reason is responsibility. Tenants will respect your Baltimore City Rental Inspection. At the point when we the Baltimore Home Inspectors review the property and they realize that we will assess it, something fascinating occurs. They will take better care of the property simply because they know sooner or later the landowner, the property supervisor, will be visiting to keep an eye on it. It’s that accountability, that checks and balancing with that tenant, that helps to make it a more successful situation. Truly significant. Frequently when we find, when we do reviews and we give them notice, that they will do a profound clean. They will make it look truly pleasant. Sometimes we’ve heard that tenants hired professional cleaners to come in to really take care and make it look great, which is marvelous.

2. Relationship

Relationship is very important in this field. It’s a method to acquire trust and to hold inhabitants when you can go in there and you can become more acquainted with them somewhat more perceive how they’re doing. If they’re not taking care of the property, you may need to set them straight, but still being kind and professional is really important and a great way to understand what their plans are, if they’re planning to renew, if they love the property, if they hate it, what do they not like. Get that compatibility and make it an incredible relationship developer with Baltimore Home Inspectors.  

3. Landscaping and Yard

Check out the landscaping and the quality of the grass with Baltimore County Rental Inspection. Make sure that those are dealt properly. It’s better to provide training to the tenant if it’s not and set some expectations. It becomes costly to replace the landscaping. Although you want to simplify the landscaping, don’t give your tenant too much to take care of, check on what you have there, make sure it’s being watched over and being dealt with properly by Baltimore City Rental Inspection.

4. Condition of your Exterior

The condition of your exterior beyond the landscaping are checking the rooftop, the gutters, downspouts, the extensions from the spouts, the foundation, checking the window wills, the fencing, making sure that things are taken care of and that you don’t have any deferred maintenance that should be dealt with the siding, cracks in the driveway, and many more.

5. Condition of your Interior

The condition of your interior is more important because if there is any problem you have to face it regularly. It may make your day go worse so it’s better to take Baltimore City Rental Inspection service from us. So what should be checked? Leaks under the sinks where you won’t be able to notice. Run those sinks so that you can be confirmed. The issues with the toilets, with water lines on the ceiling which may have a roof leak. Also you should have a look on the other issues with the house, appliances, utilities, HVAC. Checking all things before Baltimore Rental Property Registration will help you in future.

6. Rent Violations

We the Baltimore Home Inspectors advise inhabitants that we do examinations to ensure that the property’s dealing with them before Baltimore Rental Property Registration, which is the thing that I turned out as of now, and that they’re dealing with the property. It is important to make sure there’s no smoking going on if there’s not supposed to be, pets, unauthorized occupants and pets, other issues that are sketched out in the rent arrangement. We want a document of it. We want to make sure that we’re getting that tenant back on track if there is an issue.

How does Shell Home Inspections do this investigation? Those are the points that we do take care off. To begin with, we give notice, periodically around five days notice of these investigations. But we also make sure we’ve got it in our rent agreement. You’ll want to make sure it’s in your rent agreement that you can do these Baltimore County Rental Inspection as well as take photographs and make video.

We at that point do a pre-walkthrough check. We have a checklist that we go through. We’re checking these things I already mentioned that we go through. We’re also talking to the tenant to see if there’s anything more they’ve noticed, anything strange or any repairs that need to be done. So, we the Baltimore Home Inspectors take care of your thoughts. Therefore if you are satisfied with our Baltimore City Rental Inspection then feel free to contact us.