Commercial Law - Self-Service Storage Facilities - Alterations, the official text

WES MOORE, Governor                                 Ch. 215

Chapter 215

                   (Senate Bill 438)

AN ACT concerning

         Commercial Law – Self–Service Storage Facilities – Alterations

FOR the purpose of providing for the use of an electronic rental agreement in the rental of
         self–service storage facilities; prohibiting an occupant from using the occupant’s
         self–service storage facility beyond the term of a rental agreement after delivery of
         a notice of nonrenewal; requiring an operator to give an occupant a certain number
         of days after delivery of a notice of nonrenewal to remove the occupant’s personal
         property from the self–service storage facility; authorizing an operator to dispose of
         an occupant’s remaining personal property after a certain amount of time has
         elapsed; requiring an operator to give an occupant notice of intent to dispose of the
         occupant’s personal property a certain number of days before the operator disposes
         of that personal property; requiring an operator to include a certain statement in a
         rental agreement concerning the removal of personal property from the self–service
         storage facility after nonrenewal of the rental agreement; and generally relating to
         self–service storage facilities.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
         Article – Commercial Law
         Section 18–501 and, 18–502, and 18–503
         Annotated Code of Maryland
         (2025 Replacement Volume)

         SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

                   Article – Commercial Law

18–501.

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

         (b) “Default” means the failure to perform on time any obligation or duty set forth
in the rental agreement.

         (c) “Last known address” means that address or electronic mail address provided
by the occupant in the rental agreement or the address or electronic mail address provided
by the occupant in a subsequent written notice of a change of address.

         (d) “Leased space” means the individual storage space at the self–service facility
which is rented to an occupant pursuant to a rental agreement.

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Ch. 215  2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND

         (e) “Occupant” means a person, a sublessee, successor, or assign, entitled to the
use of a leased space at a self–service storage facility under a rental agreement.

         (f) (1) “Operator” means the owner, operator, lessor, or sublessor of a
self–service storage facility, an agent, or any other person authorized to manage the facility.

                  (2) “Operator” does not include a warehouseman, unless the operator
issues a warehouse receipt, bill of lading, or other document of title for the personal
property stored.

         (g) (1) “Personal property” means movable property, not affixed to land.

                  (2) “Personal property” includes goods, wares, merchandise, motor
vehicles, watercraft, and household items and furnishings.

         (h) “Rental agreement” means any written OR ELECTRONIC agreement that
establishes or modifies the terms, conditions, or rules concerning the use and occupancy of
a self–service storage facility.

         (i) “Self–service storage facility” means any real property used for renting or
leasing individual storage spaces in which the occupants themselves customarily store and
remove their own personal property on a “self–service” basis.

         (j) “Verified mail” means any method of mailing that is offered by the United
States Postal Service or private delivery service that provides evidence of mailing.

18–502.

         (a) An operator may not knowingly permit a leased space at a self–service storage
facility to be used for residential purposes.

         (b) An occupant may not use a leased space for residential purposes.

        (C) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION SUBSECTIONS (D) AND (E)
OF THIS SECTION, AN OCCUPANT MAY NOT USE A SELF–SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY

BEYOND THE TERM OF A RENTAL AGREEMENT AFTER THE OPERATOR OR OCCUPANT

HAS DELIVERED IN PERSON, BY E–MAIL, OR BY VERIFIED MAIL WRITTEN NOTICE OF
THE NONRENEWAL OF THE RENTAL AGREEMENT.

                (2) IF AN OPERATOR NOTIFIES THE OCCUPANT OF THE NONRENEWAL
BY E–MAIL AT THE OCCUPANT’S LAST KNOWN E–MAIL ADDRESS AND DOES NOT
RECEIVE A RESPONSE SENT FROM THE OCCUPANT’S E–MAIL ADDRESS OR A
CONFIRMATION OF DELIVERY WITHIN 5 DAYS AFTER DELIVERY, THE OPERATOR

SHALL PROMPTLY SEND A SECOND NOTICE OF NONRENEWAL TO THE OCCUPANT BY

VERIFIED MAIL TO THE OCCUPANT’S LAST KNOWN POSTAL ADDRESS.

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WES MOORE, Governor  Ch. 215

        (D) THE OPERATOR SHALL PROVIDE THE OCCUPANT WITH NOT LESS THAN
30 DAYS AFTER DELIVERY OF THE NOTICE OF THE NONRENEWAL OF THE RENTAL

AGREEMENT AND AT LEAST UNTIL THE END OF THE TERM OF THE RENTAL

AGREEMENT TO REMOVE ALL PERSONAL PROPERTY FROM THE SELF–SERVICE
STORAGE FACILITY.

        (E) (1) THE OPERATOR MAY NOT DISPOSE OF ANY PERSONAL PROPERTY
REMAINING AT THE SELF–SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY 10 DAYS UNTIL AFTER THE
TIME ALLOTTED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION AND PARAGRAPH (2) OF
THIS SUBSECTION HAS ELAPSED.

                (2) AT AFTER THE TIME ALLOTTED UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS
SECTION HAS ELAPSED AND AT LEAST 10 DAYS BEFORE DISPOSING OF THE
PERSONAL PROPERTY REMAINING AT THE SELF–SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY, THE
OPERATOR SHALL DELIVER IN PERSON, BY E–MAIL, OR BY VERIFIED MAIL A NOTICE
OF INTENT TO DISPOSE OF THE OCCUPANT’S PROPERTY.

                (3) IF AN OPERATOR NOTIFIES THE OCCUPANT OF THE INTENT TO
DISPOSE OF THE PROPERTY BY E–MAIL AT THE OCCUPANT’S LAST KNOWN E–MAIL
ADDRESS AND DOES NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE SENT FROM THE OCCUPANT’S
E–MAIL ADDRESS OR A CONFIRMATION OF DELIVERY WITHIN 5 DAYS AFTER
DELIVERY, THE OPERATOR SHALL PROMPTLY SEND A SECOND NOTICE OF INTENT
TO DISPOSE TO THE OCCUPANT BY VERIFIED MAIL TO THE OCCUPANT’S LAST KNOWN
POSTAL ADDRESS.

18–503.

         (a) The operator of a self–service storage facility has a lien on all personal
property stored within each leased space for rent, labor, or other charges, and for expenses
reasonably incurred in its sale, as provided in this subtitle.

         (b) The rental agreement shall contain a statement, in bold type, advising the
occupant:

                  (1) Of the existence of the lien;

                  (2) That personal property stored in the leased space may be sold to satisfy
the lien if the occupant is in default;

                  (3) That personal property stored in the leased space may be towed or
removed from the self–service storage facility if:

                           (i) The personal property is a motor vehicle or watercraft; and

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Ch. 215                         2026 LAWS OF MARYLAND

         (ii) The occupant is in default for more than 60 days; and

                  (4) That a sale of personal property stored in the leased space to satisfy the
lien if the occupant is in default shall be advertised:

                           (i)  In a newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction where
the sale is to be held;

         (ii) By electronic mail; or

         (iii) On an online website.; AND

                (5) THAT IF THE OPERATOR DOES NOT RENEW THE RENTAL
AGREEMENT, THE OPERATOR SHALL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 18–502 OF THIS
SUBTITLE, DELIVER WRITTEN NOTICE ADVISING THE OCCUPANT TO REMOVE ALL
PERSONAL PROPERTY FROM THE SELF–SERVICE STORAGE FACILITY BY THE DATE
STATED IN THE NOTICE.

         SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2026.

Approved by the Governor, April 28, 2026.

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