4333
MONTGOMERY COUNTY

93A-47. Legislative findings.

The County Council for Montgomery County, Maryland,
hereby finds that a public emergency exists in the
housing of a considerable number of persons in the
County; that there exists a serious housing shortage of
dwelling units in the County; that the construction of
new housing units planned will not eliminate the existing
housing shortage in rental units because of, inter alia,
the sewer moratorium; that in the absence of regulation
of rents there have ensued excessive rent rises which
have resulted in serious impairment to the health, safety
and welfare of a large segment of the population and in
conditions that would substantially hamper and deter the
efforts of the County government to effectuate the
protection and promotion of the health, safety and
welfare of the citizens of Montgomery County as well as
the general purposes of planning; that since the
termination of Federal rent controls on January 11, 1973,
announced rent increases in many cases have been
exorbitant which may result in great hardship; that to
prevent impairment to health, safety and welfare, action
by this Council is imperative; that, although the
controls and regulations hereinafter provided in this law
may disturb the enjoyment of individual rights and
property to some limited extent, compensation for such
disturbance is provided to all of the people of
Montgomery County sharing the general benefits which such
controls and regulations are intended and calculated to
secure; that during the period since the imposition of
Federal rent controls in August, 1971, operating expenses
of landlords have continued to increase, and such
increases have not, in all cases, been reflected in rent
adjustments; that such regulations and controls are
necessary in order to prevent the execution of unjust,
unreasonable and oppressive rental agreements, and to
forestall profiteering, speculation and other disruptive
practices tending to impair the public health, safety and
general welfare and, as a consequence, this Chapter is
declared to be necessary and designed to protect the
public health, safety and general welfare, and that this
law is enacted pursuant to the authority including the
police powers vested in Montgomery County, as an
emergency measure which, it is hoped, will be temporary
in nature.

93A—48. Rent stabilization; base rent; unlawful acts.

(a) As of the effective date of this Act, no
landlord shall demand or receive rent for any dwelling
unit covered by this Chapter above the amount charged as
rent for such dwelling unit for the month of February,
1973, except as hereinafter provided.