Councilmember Van Grack Helps Strengthen Rockville’s Landlord-Tenant Code with Stronger Renter Protections and Rental Transparency
July 7, 2026
With Councilmember Adam Van Grack's strong support, the Rockville Mayor and Council passed a comprehensive rewrite of Rockville’s Landlord-Tenant Code last night, strengthening protections for renters, increasing transparency, and helping ensure that prospective tenants have clearer information before signing a lease.
Councilmember Van Grack supported the legislation and proposed sections to further strengthen rental price and rent increase transparency. Those code sections will help ensure that more information regarding rental unit price increases, including past and current rent information, is reported to City Staff and provided to prospective tenants before they sign leases.
“Renters deserve to know the true cost of a rental unit before they sign a lease,” said Councilmember Van Grack. “Housing is one of the biggest financial decisions a family makes. A prospective tenant should not see one advertised price, begin the leasing process, and only later learn about mandatory fees or unclear charges that significantly increase the actual cost of living in that home.”
The updated code also increases protections for tenants by limiting certain junk fees and requiring fuller disclosure of fees before lease signing and renewal.
Councilmember Van Grack has supported similar protections at the state level, including testifying in the Maryland General Assembly in support of House Bill 1257 in 2025, state legislation sponsored by Delegate Joe Vogel and others to require greater fee transparency in residential leases. Councilmember Van Grack also supported House Bill 80 in 2026.
“I was proud to work with Delegate Joe Vogel on rental fee transparency at the state level, and I am pleased that we were able to bring similar protections home to Rockville,” said Councilmember Van Grack. “Whether the issue is a mandatory trash fee, a package delivery fee, parking charges, administrative fees, or other recurring costs, renters should be able to understand the full monthly cost before they commit to a lease.”
The broader issue is basic consumer fairness. When residents compare rental units, they should be comparing real prices, not incomplete prices. Hidden or unclear fees make it harder for renters to budget, harder for families to compare housing options, and harder for responsible housing providers to compete on a level playing field.
The legislation also makes Rockville the first jurisdiction in Maryland to ban landlord algorithmic pricing. This provision prohibits the use of certain algorithmic pricing tools that rely on non-public competitor data to recommend rents, fees, rental terms, renewal terms, or occupancy levels.
Councilmember Van Grack previously supported Rockville’s efforts in the Maryland General Assembly to ban landlord algorithmic pricing statewide, including House Bill 817 in 2025 and House Bill 434 in 2026.
“Technology should not be used to coordinate rents or undermine fair competition in the housing market,” said Councilmember Van Grack. “This is not rent control. This is about making sure rents are set fairly, transparently, and competitively, not through systems that use non-public competitor data in ways that can harm renters.”
The rewritten code also includes additional tenant protections related to lease disclosures, rental payment history, required notice of rent increases, fee transparency, court costs and attorney fees, tenant organizations, inspections, relocation assistance, and landlord reporting requirements.
“Strong tenant protections, clear rules, and better information are essential to a fair housing market,” said Councilmember Van Grack. “This rewrite helps protect renters, improves transparency, and gives the city better tools to understand what is happening in Rockville’s rental market.”
