Maryland Landlord-Tenant Laws: Rights and Duties for Both Sides

Maryland law caps late fees at 5 percent of the rent, protects tenants who complain in good faith from retaliation and lets tenants pay rent into court when serious defects go unrepaired. The 2024 Tenant Safety Act expanded that rent escrow remedy.

Maryland landlord-tenant rights at a glance

Rule	Maryland	Law
Tenant repair remedies	When a landlord does not fix a serious defect within a reasonable time after notice, a tenant may pay rent into court through a rent escrow case or raise the defect as a defense; more than 30 days is presumed unreasonable.	Md. Code, Real Property 8-211
Retaliation protection	A landlord may not sue for possession, raise rent, cut services or end a periodic tenancy because a tenant made a good faith complaint, joined a tenant group or used a legal remedy; actions more than six months later are not presumed retaliatory.	Md. Code, Real Property 8-208.1
Late fees	A lease may not set a late fee above 5 percent of the rent due for that period; weekly leases have smaller dollar limits.	Md. Code, Real Property 8-208
Deadline to return the deposit	Within 45 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must return the deposit with interest, less any amounts properly withheld.	Md. Code, Real Property 8-203

Repairs and habitability

Every residential tenancy comes with a duty to keep the home safe and livable. Put repair requests in writing and keep a dated record of each step.

Tenant repair remedies. When a landlord does not fix a serious defect within a reasonable time after notice, a tenant may pay rent into court through a rent escrow case or raise the defect as a defense; more than 30 days is presumed unreasonable. (Md. Code, Real Property 8-211)

Entry and privacy

We could not confirm a statewide rule here. Check your county court or a local attorney.

Retaliation

Retaliation protection. A landlord may not sue for possession, raise rent, cut services or end a periodic tenancy because a tenant made a good faith complaint, joined a tenant group or used a legal remedy; actions more than six months later are not presumed retaliatory. (Md. Code, Real Property 8-208.1)

Rent, late fees and grace periods

Late fees. A lease may not set a late fee above 5 percent of the rent due for that period; weekly leases have smaller dollar limits. (Md. Code, Real Property 8-208)

Applications and screening

Federal fair housing law applies everywhere: apply the same written criteria to every applicant, and never screen on a protected characteristic.

Application fees. Application fees over $25 must be refunded within 15 days, except the part actually spent on a credit check or similar costs; landlords with four or fewer units at one location are exempt. Dollar figure checked on the official code on October 29, 2026. (Md. Code, Real Property 8-213)

Disclosures to include with the lease

Disclosures are easiest to get right at lease signing. Other disclosures may also be required by your city or by the property itself, so check before you sign.

Required disclosures. Homes built before 1978 need the federal lead-based paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet. (Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (42 U.S.C. 4852d))

Required disclosures. Older rental homes covered by Maryland's lead law must be registered with the Department of the Environment and pass lead inspections at turnover. (Md. Code, Environment Article, Title 6, Subtitle 8 (Reduction of Lead Risk in Housing))

Required disclosures. Residential leases generally must include the Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights published by the state housing department. (Renters' Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024)

Security deposits in brief

Deposit limit. A security deposit may not exceed one month's rent per unit, with a limited exception up to two months' rent for tenants in a state utility assistance arrangement. (Md. Code, Real Property 8-203)

Deadline to return the deposit. Within 45 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must return the deposit with interest, less any amounts properly withheld. (Md. Code, Real Property 8-203)

Mistakes to avoid

• Entering a unit without the notice the lease or the law requires.
• Letting a written repair request sit without a reply or a plan.
• Leaving required disclosures out of the lease packet.
• Applying screening criteria differently from one applicant to the next.
• Raising rent or ending a tenancy soon after a complaint without a documented, unrelated reason.