Cal. Civ. Code § 8-205.3
Md. Code Ann., Real Property Art. Title 8 — Landlord and Tenant
Operative Text
(a) In this section, “individual submeter” has the meaning stated in § 9–1115 of the Environment Article. (b) A landlord that requires a tenant to make payments for water or sewer services measured by an individual submeter to a third party shall: (1) Use a written lease that provides notice that the tenant is responsible for making payments for the water or sewer services to the third party; (2) Provide a copy of the water or sewer bill to the tenant not later than 20 days before payment of the bill is due; and (3) Before the beginning of the initial lease, notify the prospective tenant in writing of: (i) The total water and sewer costs billed to the occupants of the unit in the immediately preceding 2 years; or (ii) If water and sewer costs were not billed to an occupant of the unit for the immediately preceding 2 years, the total water and sewer costs billed to a comparably sized unit within that time period. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a landlord that does not meet the requirements of § 9–1115 of the Environment Article may not require a tenant to make payments to a third party for water or sewer services.
Maryland Real Property § 8-205.3 governs situations where a landlord routes water or sewer charges—measured by an individual submeter—through a third-party billing company rather than billing the tenant directly. The law requires landlords to use a written lease that discloses the tenant's payment responsibility, to deliver copies of water or sewer bills at least 20 days before they are due, and to share two years of historical water and sewer cost data with prospective tenants before a lease begins. Landlords who do not satisfy the technical requirements of Environment Article § 9-1115 are prohibited entirely from passing submetered water or sewer costs to tenants through a third party.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to § 8-205.3 generally ensure that every written lease clearly states that the tenant is responsible for submetered water or sewer payments to the third-party billing provider. Compliant landlords also build a workflow to transmit copies of each water or sewer bill to tenants no later than 20 days before the payment deadline, and they prepare a written disclosure of the prior two years of water and sewer costs—or costs from a comparably sized unit—to share with prospective tenants before the initial lease term begins. Landlords should also confirm that their submetering equipment and practices satisfy the separate requirements of Environment Article § 9-1115, because failing to meet those standards bars third-party billing altogether under § 8-205.3(c).
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 8-205.3, tenants have the right to receive advance written notice—embedded in the lease itself—that they will owe water or sewer payments to a third party, along with a copy of each bill at least 20 days before it is due. Before signing an initial lease, prospective tenants are entitled to written historical cost data covering the prior two years for the unit or a comparable one, giving them a basis for evaluating expected utility expenses. Tenants who believe a landlord has not met these disclosure requirements, or who suspect the submetering equipment does not comply with Environment Article § 9-1115, may consider raising the violation as a defense in a payment dispute, contacting a local tenant-rights organization, or consulting with a housing attorney to understand available remedies.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 27, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
Rules and statutes cited by this regulation
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.