Senate approves Fair Chance Housing bill limiting upfront criminal‑history screening for large landlords

The Maryland Senate approved Senate Bill 937, the Fair Chance Housing Act, which changes how large landlords (defined in the bill as owners or managers of five or more rental units) may use criminal‑history information when screening prospective tenants.

Under the bill, landlords may deny applicants at the outset for a short list of serious crimes — including sexual offenses, child pornography and recent convictions for murder or human trafficking — but broader felony histories are to be considered in a second step after the applicant clears credit, income and reference checks. Sponsors said the two‑step process gives applicants a fair chance to show creditworthiness and stability before criminal records are used to deny housing.

“Making sure that we are breaking the cycle of recidivism is paramount to public safety,” the sponsor said on the floor, urging senators to consider how housing stability supports rehabilitation and reduces future offense rates.

Opponents warned landlords will face added compliance burdens in a market already strained for supply. One senator said that while second chances matter, the law increases complexity for landlords and could deter smaller property owners from offering units.

The Senate recorded a final positive vote on the bill; the measure will proceed in the legislative process.

What happens next: with passage on the floor, the bill moves toward final legislative steps; the transcript records continued disagreements about trade‑offs between reentry goals and property management burdens.