Maryland — landlord and rental rules

For failure to pay rent, Maryland Courts describes a written 10-day notice before filing, followed by a court case; removal requires a judgment, warrant of restitution, and sheriff or constable process.

The official procedure does not promise a fixed end-to-end duration. Case facts, service, defenses, redemption rights, court scheduling, and enforcement timing can change the result; obtain legal advice for a live case.

Maryland requires affected pre-1978 rental dwelling units to be registered with the Department of the Environment and to satisfy the applicable lead-risk-reduction and certificate duties before occupancy changes.

MDE says registrations renew every two years beginning January 1, 2026. The required certificate and risk-reduction path depend on property and turnover facts; confirm the current MDE record rather than treating this summary as legal advice.

Construction

Built before 1978

Maryland ordinarily caps a cash security deposit at one month's rent per dwelling unit. It must be held in a qualifying interest-bearing in-state account and returned with required interest, less lawful withholding, within 45 days after the tenancy ends.

A narrow written utility-assistance arrangement may permit up to two months' rent. Interest applies to deposits of at least $50 held for at least six months, at the daily one-year U.S. Treasury yield-curve rate for the first business day of the year or 1.5% annually, whichever is greater. The statute also sets inspection, itemization, forfeiture, and potential threefold-damages and attorney-fee rules; this summary is informational, not legal advice.

Damages

3× the deposit, plus fees