On July 18, 2023, the Montgomery County Council – an 11-member legislative body elected by 1.1 million residents of the county just north of Washington, DC – voted 7-4 to pass permanent rent stabilization, becoming the first county in Maryland to do so. The new law caps annual rent increases at 3%+inflation with a hard cap of 6%, regulates fees, includes vacancy control, and covers all units owned by a natural person who owns two or more properties – with a 23-year exemption for new construction, back-dated to 2000.