HB 2642 Summary

• Establishes a pre-litigation mediation pilot program for residential landlord-tenant disputes over nonpayment of rent, effective November 1, 2024.

• Extends the notice period for termination of rental agreements from five business days to ten calendar days, during which landlords must provide tenants with specific information including landlord contact details, rent amount due, and notice that a copy is being sent to a state-funded mediation center.

• Requires landlords and tenants to participate in mediation if scheduled within the ten-calendar-day period; if mediation is scheduled, landlords cannot file for summary possession until twenty calendar days after tenant receipt of the notice.

• Allocates responsibility for mediation costs to each party, but allows landlords to recover attorney's fees and costs if a tenant defaults on a mediated agreement or fails to attend scheduled mediation.

• Sunsets the program on November 1, 2026, restoring the previous statutory language regarding eviction procedures.