Maryland renter rights: the basics for first-time renters

Last reviewed: October 2026 · First Apartment Kit

Maryland has some of the more detailed renter protections in the country, and since 2025 every lease must come with a state-written Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights. Here is what matters most when you rent your first place.

Quick facts

Security deposit max	1 month's rent (2 months only in a narrow utility-assistance case)
Deposit returned within	45 days after the tenancy ends, with interest
Interest on deposit	Yes — simple interest of at least 1.5% a year on deposits of $50+ held 6+ months
Late fee cap	5% of the late rent
Statewide rent control	No (some counties have local limits)
Rent increase notice	Generally 90 days in writing, at renewal
Month-to-month: landlord notice	60 days in writing
Landlord entry	24 hours' written notice (per the state Tenants' Bill of Rights)
Unpaid rent notice before filing	10 days in writing
Main repair remedy	Rent escrow through District Court

Quick facts are simplified. Read the sections below for exceptions, and check your city or county too.

Security deposits

Cap: a landlord can charge no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, no matter how many roommates are on the lease. (A two-month deposit is allowed only in a narrow case involving state utility assistance and utilities paid to the landlord.) If you are overcharged, you can sue for up to three times the extra amount.
Move-in money: the lease can't require more than the deposit plus the first month's rent to start the lease and move in.
Receipt: you must get a written receipt, included in the lease. It should tell you about your right to be at the move-out inspection.
Return: within 45 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must return the deposit plus simple interest (the greater of 1.5% a year or the one-year Treasury rate), minus lawful deductions. Interest applies to deposits of $50 or more held at least six months.
Itemized list: any deductions must be listed with costs and mailed within the same 45 days, or the landlord loses the right to keep money for damages. Withholding without a reasonable basis can cost the landlord up to three times the amount.
Be there for the inspection: if you send the landlord a certified letter at least 15 days before you move with your move date and new address, you have the right to be present at the move-out inspection.

Normal wear and tear can't be deducted. Some renters can also buy a surety bond instead of paying all of a deposit, but only if the landlord agrees.

Rent increases and late fees

Maryland has no statewide cap on rent increases. The state's Tenants' Bill of Rights says rent can only go up when the lease renews, and in most cases you must get 90 days' written notice. A landlord can send that notice by email or text only if you agreed to electronic notices. Some local governments, such as Montgomery County, have their own limits on rent increases, so check your county.

A late fee can't be more than 5% of the late rent. If rent is paid weekly, the cap is $3 a week and $12 a month. If you make a partial payment, the fee applies only to the unpaid part.

Ending a month-to-month tenancy

For a month-to-month tenancy (or a lease longer than a week that is ending), a landlord who wants you out must give 60 days' written notice before the end of the tenancy. Tenants should give at least 30 days' notice before the tenancy ends. Put yours in writing and keep a copy, and check your lease, which can require more notice but not less than the law allows the landlord. Baltimore City and some counties have extra local rules.

When the landlord can come in

Maryland's Tenants' Bill of Rights says a landlord may enter for legitimate reasons like repairs, inspections, or showings, but must give at least 24 hours' written notice and enter only Monday through Saturday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except in an emergency. You can agree in writing to shorter notice. Your lease and county may add details.

Repairs and living conditions

Your home must have heat, electricity, hot and cold water, and proper sewage disposal, and serious defects that threaten life, health, or safety must be fixed. Tell your landlord in writing (or have a government inspector cite the problem). The landlord then has a reasonable time to fix it — a court presumes more than 30 days is unreasonable.

If the problem isn't fixed, Maryland's main tool is rent escrow: you ask the District Court to let you pay rent to the court instead of the landlord until repairs are made. You can also raise the conditions as a defense if you are sued for rent. Maryland does not have a general statewide repair-and-deduct law, so don't just stop paying or fix things yourself without advice. Larger newer buildings also have new air-conditioning requirements starting in 2026.

Write it all down from day one. The 12-page First Apartment Move-In Kit has a first-week timeline, lease and building facts, a utilities board, room-by-room unpacking, and a first-month money sheet — so your lease facts, notice dates, and move-in notes live in one place. $9.99 on Etsy. Undated.

Get the kit — $9.99 on Etsy

Eviction basics

Unpaid rent: before filing a failure-to-pay-rent case, the landlord must give you written notice at least 10 days ahead, giving you a chance to pay. In that case, "rent" means base rent only, not late fees or utility charges.
Only a court can evict you. Changing the locks, removing your things, or shutting off heat, water, or electricity to force you out is illegal. A sheriff or constable carries out a court order (a warrant of restitution).
Free lawyer: Maryland's Access to Counsel in Evictions program may give you a free attorney if your income is at or below 50% of area median income. Call 211 or visit legalhelpmd.org.

Retaliation and discrimination

A landlord can't raise your rent, cut services, refuse repairs, or try to evict you because you made a good-faith complaint, joined a tenant group, sued, or called police or emergency services. If a court finds retaliation, it can award up to three months' rent plus attorney's fees. You generally must be current on rent to use this protection.

Maryland law bans housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, source of income (including housing vouchers), and military status. New 2026 rules also limit how landlords can use criminal history in screening.

City and county rules

Baltimore City, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County each have their own renter offices and some extra local rules. If you rent there, look up your county's landlord-tenant office too.

Move-in checklist for Maryland renters

☐ Get a written lease and read all of it before signing
☐ Get a receipt for the deposit and any move-in money
☐ Photograph every room, dated, before you unpack
☐ Fill out (or write your own) move-in condition list and keep a copy
☐ Note the rent due date, grace period, and late fee
☐ Write down how to request repairs, and do it in writing
☐ Save the landlord's legal name and address for notices
☐ Put your notice deadline for moving out in your calendar

Still apartment hunting? Our list of questions to ask a landlord before signing a lease covers deposits, fees, repairs, and move-out rules you will want answered in writing.

Where to get help in Maryland

Maryland Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs (DHCD) — publishes the Tenants' Bill of Rights; phone 855-511-3423.
Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights (PDF)
Maryland Commission on Civil Rights — housing discrimination complaints.
Find free legal aid near you — the federal Legal Services Corporation's directory of local legal aid offices.
File a housing discrimination complaint with HUD — the federal fair housing agency.

More help

Nonprofit and legal aid resources (not government sources):

Maryland Legal Aid / Access to Counsel in Evictions — free help if you qualify; or call 211.
The People's Law Library of Maryland — plain-language legal info.

Official sources

These are the official state law and government pages we checked for every fact on this page. The law itself controls if anything here differs.

Not legal advice; laws change and cities may add rules. Check the official sources below or a local legal aid office. This page is a plain-language summary written by First Apartment Kit, not the law itself. Last reviewed: October 2026.

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