Maryland sets a nonrenewal and disposal notice process for self-storage operators

Maryland Governor Wes Moore approved House Bill 618 on April 28, 2026, with an effective date of July 1, 2026, according to the chapter law and Greenberger’s note on it. The law has been in force since July 1. It amends sections 18-501 to 18-503 of Maryland’s Commercial Law article, which govern self-service storage.

After an operator or occupant delivers written notice of nonrenewal, in person, by email or by verified mail, the occupant may not keep using the facility past the end of the rental agreement. The operator must allow at least 30 days after delivery of the notice, and at least until the end of the term, for the occupant to remove all property. If an emailed notice draws no reply or delivery confirmation within five days, the operator must promptly send a second notice by verified mail.

Only after that period may the operator dispose of remaining property, and it must first deliver a notice of intent to dispose at least 10 days ahead, using the same email-then-mail fallback. The bill also covers electronic rental agreements and requires the agreement to carry a bold-type statement about the nonrenewal notice.

Attorney Jeffrey Greenberger, on a storage-law blog, described it as allowing a non-monetary termination.