Delaware · House Bill 37 · 152nd General Assembly

Tenants/Rent Escrow/Defects or Conditions

HB 37 Sponsored by Sherry Dorsey Walker Died in committee

  1. Introduced Dec 15, 2022
  2. In committee Dec 15, 2022
  3. Died  
  4. Passed the Senate  
  5. To the governor  
  6. Became law  

What it does

The legislature's own summary of the bill, or its official long title.

It is the policy of this State that meaningful sanctions be imposed upon those who allow dangerous conditions and defects to exist in leased premises and that an effective mechanism be established for repairing these conditions and halting their creation. This Act allows tenants to bring an action of rent escrow to pay rent into the court because of asserted defects or conditions. Alternatively, the tenant may…

Read the full title (200 words)

It is the policy of this State that meaningful sanctions be imposed upon those who allow dangerous conditions and defects to exist in leased premises and that an effective mechanism be established for repairing these conditions and halting their creation. This Act allows tenants to bring an action of rent escrow to pay rent into the court because of asserted defects or conditions. Alternatively, the tenant may refuse to pay rent and raise the existence of the asserted defects or conditions as an affirmative defense to an action for summary possession or an action for nonpayment of rent. This Act requires the tenant to give proper notice and allow the landlord the opportunity to effect repairs. This Act requires the court to make appropriate findings of fact and to make any order that justice of the case may require, which may include termination of the lease and return of the leased premises to the landlord, order that the action for rent escrow be dismissed, order that the amount of rent be reduced in amount determined by the court to be fair and equitable, or order the landlord to make the repairs or correct the conditions complained of by the tenant.

Every action

4 steps, oldest first, as the legislature records them.

  1. CommitteeIntroduced and Assigned to Housing Committee in House · House Housing
  2. HouseMotion to Release Failed
  3. HouseNot Enough Signatures to Release
  4. HouseNot Worked in Committee

Roll calls

No recorded votes on this bill yet.

Sponsors

The member who introduced it, joined by 2 cosponsors: 2 Democrats.

All 2 cosponsors

From Delaware's official records (legis.delaware.gov), checked Nov 1, 2026. Text links go to the official versions; LegiList does not copy bill text.