Maryland’s oppressive summers are growing even more dangerous — especially in urban areas such as Baltimore, where tree cover is minimal, many older buildings lack air conditioning and the heat has killed people before.
Now, bipartisan legislation awaiting Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s signature offers renters a pathway to safer conditions during the summer. He is expected to sign it.
SB 12, which passed the Legislature this week, would set new summer heat standards for apartment buildings with at least 10 units. New and newly renovated buildings would have to install air conditioning that can drop the temperature to at least 80 degrees from June until October.
Perhaps more importantly, advocates said, is that it would require buildings that already have AC to keep it working — bringing the state’s standard for summer cooling closer to how the law treats winter heating.
