Maryland Landlord Laws In 2026: What Changed In 2024

Most landlords have no idea how much the rules changed in Maryland. Seriously. In 2024, the state passed a massive new law that affects every single landlord in the state. And these changes? They hit your wallet and your responsibilities—hard. Let’s break down exactly what you need to know.

What Is the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act?

In 2024, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed what’s called the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act (or HB 693 if you want the official name). Think of it like a complete overhaul of landlord-tenant rules. Okay, pause. Read this carefully. Most of these changes went into effect on October 1, 2024, and they apply to every landlord in Maryland.

The law creates something brand new: the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs. This office helps both tenants and landlords understand their rights and responsibilities. Pretty straightforward.

Basic Landlord Responsibilities

What You Must Maintain in Your Properties

Your rental property must be safe and livable. This is called the “implied warranty of habitability.” Here’s what that actually means: you’re legally required to keep certain things working.

You need to provide functioning plumbing. Your tenants need hot and cold running water. You must maintain heat during winter (no exceptions—this is serious stuff). The electrical system has to be safe with no exposed wires. Your property needs proper sewage disposal.

Sound complicated? It’s actually not. These are the basics. Any system that affects health or safety falls under your responsibility. Rodents in the unit? That’s your problem. Mold growing on walls? You fix it. Lead paint hazards? You handle it.

Wondering if this applies to you? It does. Maryland’s warranty of habitability applies to almost all rental properties. The only exceptions are certain agricultural leases. Everything else—apartments, single-family homes, townhouses—covered.

Heat, Water, and Utilities

Let’s get specific because this part catches many landlords off guard. You must provide adequate heat during the winter months. Many people assume this is the tenant’s responsibility. They find out the hard way that it’s not.

Here’s what you’re responsible for: providing the utilities themselves. Now, some landlords use something called RUBS (Ratio Utility Billing System). This lets you bill tenants for their share of utilities. But you have to tell tenants before they sign the lease. You also need to show them the last two utility bills so they understand how the system works.

Repairs and Response Time

After a tenant notifies you of a repair issue, the law says you must act within a “reasonable time.” In practice, that usually means 30 days or less for safety issues. Hot water goes out in January? You can’t wait until March to fix it. A toilet is leaking sewage into the walls? Emergency situation.

Honestly, this is the part most landlords miss. Even simple repairs matter legally. If a tenant requests a repair and you ignore it for months, they have legal options—and they can get money from you.

The Big Changes from the 2024 Law

Security Deposit Limits

This change surprised a lot of landlords. Before October 2024, you could charge up to two months’ rent as a security deposit. Not anymore.

As of October 1, 2024, you can only charge one month’s rent as a deposit. That’s it. Even if your lease says two months, that provision is now illegal.

Here’s something even more important: you can’t use that deposit as a fine. If a tenant breaks something, you can only deduct actual damage costs from the deposit. You can’t just keep the whole thing as punishment. The law is clear on this.

You also need to give tenants a written receipt showing the deposit amount and how long you’re holding it. You must pay annual interest on deposits held in an escrow account. And landlords are not permitted to charge application fees over $25 (and zero fees if the tenant provides a recent screening report).

The Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights

Starting July 1, 2025, landlords must include a copy of the Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights with every lease. This isn’t optional. Maryland is actually the first state in the nation to create and require this document.

The Bill of Rights explains tenant protections. It covers things like habitability requirements, eviction procedures, discrimination laws, and the right to quiet enjoyment. You can download the current version from the Maryland Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs website.

Not sure what counts as a violation? The Bill of Rights explains it. This document helps both you and your tenants avoid misunderstandings.

Eviction Filing Fees Increased

Trust me, this one stings. Filing fees for evictions went way up.

To file a failure-to-pay-rent complaint in District Court, you now pay around $43 statewide. In Baltimore City, add another $10 on top of that. Before the law changed, those fees were just $8 to $25. Big jump, right?

Here’s the important part: you cannot pass these costs to tenants automatically. You can only recover these fees if you win your case in court and your lease specifically allows it. Even then, you cannot charge more than the tenant’s security deposit amount.

Right of First Refusal

This one’s huge if you’re planning to sell rental property. Before 2024, only tenants in Baltimore City had a right of first refusal to buy their rental unit. Now, it applies statewide—but with limits.

Here’s what it means: if you own a rental property with fewer than four units, you must notify the tenant before selling to anyone else. The tenant gets 30 days to make an offer to purchase the property. You have to give them a real chance to buy it.

This applies to single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes. If you own five or more units, you’re exempt. Same for properties in commercial buildings.

This law is complicated, honestly. The Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs has specific forms you must use for notifying tenants about sales. If you miss these steps, you could face serious problems later.

Entry and Inspection Rights

You have the right to enter your property for repairs, inspections, and showing it to potential renters. But here’s the catch: you must provide written notice at least 24 hours in advance.

Tenants have the right to “quiet enjoyment” of their unit. That means your entry must be reasonable and during normal hours. Showing up at 6 AM to inspect something isn’t reasonable unless there’s an emergency.

What counts as an emergency? Loss of heat in winter. No water supply. Gas leak. Obvious safety hazards. In true emergencies, you can enter without the 24-hour notice.

Eviction Procedures and Timeline

Valid Reasons for Eviction

You can’t evict a tenant without a good reason. Maryland requires “just cause” for any eviction. Here are the valid reasons:

Nonpayment of rent is the most common. Lease violations come next (like having pets when the lease forbids it, or unauthorized occupants). Serious safety violations count (damaging the unit, creating fire hazards, criminal activity). Holding over after the lease ends is another ground.

You cannot evict tenants for reporting housing code violations. You cannot retaliate by evicting them if they withhold rent during a genuine repair dispute. Retaliation is illegal, and tenants have protections against it for six months after taking protected actions.

Notice Requirements

Different situations require different notice periods. Pay attention here because missing the deadline can invalidate your whole eviction.

For nonpayment of rent: technically, no written notice is required before filing in court. But most judges expect to see you gave the tenant a 10-day demand notice to pay. It looks bad if you don’t try to resolve it first.

For other lease violations that can be fixed: serve a 30-day notice to quit. The tenant gets 30 days to correct the problem or move out.

For serious violations that cannot be fixed (like illegal activity or major property damage): serve a 14-day notice to vacate. This is non-negotiable stuff.

Notices must be delivered by certified mail, personal service, or posted conspicuously on the rental unit door. Keep proof that you delivered it. This matters in court.

The Court Process

After the notice period expires, you file an eviction complaint in District Court. The fee is now $43 statewide ($53 in Baltimore City). You must use the official form called the “Landlord’s Complaint for Repossession of Rented Property.” You cannot print this—you must get the carbonless copy in person at the court.

The court then issues a summons to the tenant. The tenant gets notified within three days and has a court hearing. It could be as soon as five days after you file.

At the hearing, the judge listens to both sides. The tenant can argue the eviction is improper, that they paid rent, or that repairs weren’t made. You present your evidence: ledgers, notices, documentation.

If you win, the judge issues a warrant of restitution. Then the sheriff enforces the eviction. The whole process from filing to removal typically takes 4 to 6 weeks.

Tenant Defenses in Eviction

Here’s where it gets interesting. Even if a tenant hasn’t paid rent, they can defend themselves in court by proving you failed to make necessary repairs.

If a tenant gave you written notice of a serious habitability issue over a month before the hearing, and you didn’t fix it, the court may side with the tenant. They might not have to pay rent. This is called a “rent escrow” defense, and it’s powerful.

Examples include: no heat in winter, broken toilets, rodent infestations, major structural damage, lead paint hazards.

The tenant can’t just decide to withhold rent on their own. They have to file the rent escrow case in court. But if the judge agrees the problem is serious, rent goes into an escrow account instead of to you, until repairs are made.

Landlord Entry and Privacy

You’re allowed to enter your property, but you can’t just show up whenever you want. Here are the rules:

Twenty-four hours written notice is required for non-emergency entries. This notice must be in writing. Text message might count depending on your lease. Email definitely counts.

Enter during reasonable hours (not midnight, not 5 AM). Only enter for legitimate purposes: repairs, inspections, showing to prospective renters, or emergencies.

Legitimate purposes don’t include random visits or checking up on tenants. You need a real reason.

Maintenance and Repair Obligations

What You Must Maintain

Your responsibilities include structural integrity, plumbing systems, electrical systems, and heating. You must fix major issues promptly. “Promptly” usually means within 30 days for safety issues, faster for emergencies.

Smoke detectors must work. You need to check them before the tenant moves in. Replace detectors older than 10 years. Install carbon monoxide detectors if the unit has fuel-burning appliances.

If the property has a history of rodent problems, you must address them. If you find rodents in two or more units of a multi-family building, the law treats it as a habitability violation.

What you don’t have to fix: replacing light bulbs, minor cosmetic damage, normal wear and tear. Stains on carpet, small cracks in walls, or missing linoleum don’t count as habitability violations. These are the tenant’s responsibility to deal with or accept.

Tenant Repair Requests

Tenants can request repairs orally or in writing. If they say there’s a problem, you need to act. Actually, here’s something important: if the tenant claims they notified you and you deny it, you bear the burden of proof in court. You need to show you didn’t know about the problem.

Bottom line? Respond to repair requests quickly. Document everything. Keep a log of when you received requests and when you completed repairs.

Retaliation Protections

You cannot retaliate against tenants for exercising their legal rights. The law specifically protects tenants who:

Report housing violations to the government or landlord. File complaints with local authorities. Participate in legal action against you. Join a tenant organization. Withhold rent during a legitimate repair dispute through proper channels.

Retaliation includes evicting them, raising rent, reducing services, or threatening eviction within six months of the protected action. If you evict someone soon after they report violations, the court may dismiss your case as retaliation.

This protection lasts six months. After six months, you can raise rent or terminate the tenancy for other reasons. But not immediately after they complain.

Special Circumstances and Rules

Lead Paint Disclosure

Many Maryland properties contain lead-based paint. You must disclose this to tenants before they sign the lease. Lead is especially dangerous for children and pregnant women.

Constructive Eviction

This is when a landlord’s actions make the unit uninhabitable, forcing the tenant to leave. Shutting off utilities, changing locks, removing doors—these are constructive evictions and they’re illegal.

If you do this, the tenant can sue you for damages including moving costs, rent differences, and attorney fees. The lease becomes void, and you owe them relocation expenses up to $2,500.

Month-to-Month Tenancies

For month-to-month leases, you can terminate without cause by providing one month written notice. But you cannot retaliate based on protected tenant actions. The notice period still applies.

How to Comply with Maryland Laws

Document Everything

Keep detailed records of all tenant communications. Save emails, texts, photographs of issues. Document when repairs were completed. This protects you in court and in disputes.

Use Written Notices

Always give written notice before entry. Always use written notices for rent demands and lease violations. Don’t rely on verbal notices or informal communications. Courts take written documentation seriously.

Follow the Right Process

Don’t attempt “self-help” evictions like changing locks or shutting off utilities. This is illegal and expensive. Go through the court system. Yes, it costs money. Yes, it takes time. But it’s the legal way.

Provide Lease Documentation

Give every tenant a copy of their lease. Include the Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights. Explain the security deposit terms in writing. These steps prevent misunderstandings later.

Maintain the Property

Schedule regular inspections. Address repairs promptly. Keep systems in good working order. An ounce of prevention beats a pound of eviction in court.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I don’t include the Tenants’ Bill of Rights with the lease? The lease might be challenged or deemed improper. You’re required by law, so get the current version from the Maryland Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs and include it.

Can I charge tenants for eviction filing fees? Only if you win the case in court and the lease specifically allows it. You cannot charge fees automatically. Even if you win, the amount cannot exceed the security deposit.

How long do I have to keep the security deposit? After the tenant moves out, you must return the deposit within 45 days (in some jurisdictions). You must itemize any deductions and explain why. If you don’t return it on time, you owe the tenant the full deposit plus interest plus damages.

Can I enter for emergency repairs without notice? Yes. Emergencies (no heat, water outage, gas leak, safety hazard) allow entry without 24-hour notice. But it truly must be an emergency, not just your opinion that something’s urgent.

What’s the difference between a 30-day and 14-day notice to quit? A 30-day notice is for curable violations (fixable problems). The tenant gets 30 days to fix it or move. A 14-day notice is for serious, non-curable violations like criminal activity or major safety hazards. The tenant has 14 days to leave.

Final Thoughts

Maryland landlord laws have changed significantly. The 2024 Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act puts more responsibility on landlords and more protections on tenants. Understanding these rules keeps you out of court and out of expensive disputes.

The key is staying organized. Document repairs. Follow procedures. Maintain properties. Give proper notice. These basics protect your property and your legal rights.

Now you know the basics. Stay informed, follow the law, and when in doubt about specific situations, talk to a lawyer. Maryland’s laws are detailed, and individual circumstances matter.

Maryland Landlord Laws in 2026: What Changed in 2024