Sources checked:
Quick answer. Maryland: deposit capped at 1 month of rent; deposit returned within 45 days; 60-day notice to end month-to-month; 10-day notice for unpaid rent; 24-hour entry notice; $5,000 small claims limit. 17 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 6 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- 1 month's rent
- Deposit back within
- 45 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- 60 days
- Unpaid rent notice
- 10 days
- Entry notice
- 24 hours
- Writ to lockout
- 6 days
- Small claims limit
- $5,000
Security deposit (6 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: Md. Code, Real Property 8-203.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
No more than one month's rent per unit, regardless of the number of tenants; up to two months if the tenant qualifies for Department of Human Services utility assistance, the lease has the tenant pay utilities to the landlord, and both agree in writing (8-203(b)).
Source: Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-203 (current statute text), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
Within 45 days after the tenancy ends: the deposit with interest, less damages rightfully withheld (8-203(e)).
Source: Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-203 (current statute text), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
A written list of damages claimed with itemized costs, sent by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address within 45 days; costs need supporting documents, which may be an estimate, with the final invoice after repairs (8-203(g), (j), (k)).
Source: Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-203 (current statute text), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedInterest on the deposit
Simple interest at the greater of the one-year U.S. Treasury yield curve rate on the first business day of the year or 1.5% a year, accruing monthly; owed only on deposits of $50 or more held at least six months (8-203(e)). DHCD publishes the rates and a calculator (8-203(m)-(n)).
Source: Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-203 (current statute text), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWhere the deposit is held
Within 30 days of receipt, in a federally insured institution doing business in Maryland, in an in-state branch, in an account used only for deposits; or in insured certificates of deposit or government securities (8-203(d)).
Source: Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-203 (current statute text), checked November 2026
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
Up to three times the amount withheld plus reasonable attorney fees, where the landlord had no reasonable basis (8-203(e)(4)); up to three times any excess charged over the limit (8-203(b)(3)).
Source: Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-203 (current statute text), checked November 2026
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (6 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | At least 60 days' written notice. | Source: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development: Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights (effective October 1, 2026), checked November 2026 (Real Property 8-402 and related sections) |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | At least 30 days' written notice, unless the lease requires more. | Source: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development: Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights (effective October 1, 2026), checked November 2026 (Real Property 8-402 and related sections) |
| Rent increase notice | Written notice 90 days before an increase in most cases, unless it comes with a notice ending the tenancy. | Source: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development: Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights (effective October 1, 2026), checked November 2026 (Real Property 8-205, 8-205.1 and related sections) |
| Unpaid rent notice | Written notice at least 10 days before filing for failure to pay rent. | Source: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development: Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights (effective October 1, 2026), checked November 2026 (Real Property 8-401, 8-402 and related sections) |
| Entry notice | Written notice at least 24 hours before an inspection or repairs; entry Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except emergencies. | Source: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development: Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights (effective October 1, 2026), checked November 2026 (Real Property 8-208.1, 8-208.2 and related sections) |
| Late fee limits | No more than 5% of the late rent amount; on a partial payment, only on the unpaid part. | Source: Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development: Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights (effective October 1, 2026), checked November 2026 (Real Property 8-208 and related sections) |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (4 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: Written notice at least 10 days before filing for failure to pay rent.
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
Failure to pay rent and other landlord-tenant cases are handled by the District Court.
handled by the District Court
Source: Maryland Courts: Housing Cases, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedFiling fee
Not confirmed — check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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Not confirmedTime to answer or appear
Not confirmed — check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Hearing or trial
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Not confirmedHearing after filing
Not confirmed — check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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Not confirmedJudgment to writ
Not confirmed — check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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ConfirmedWrit to lockout
Once the eviction is scheduled, the landlord gives written notice at least 6 days before it (14 days by mail and 7 by posting in Baltimore City).
at least 6 days before it takes place
Source: Maryland Courts: Rent Court for Landlords Part 2, I Won in Rent Court, Now What?, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
The warrant of restitution tells the sheriff or constable to restore the property to the landlord.
tells the sheriff or constable to go to a property
Source: Maryland Courts: Housing Cases, checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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ConfirmedPaying to stop the case
The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the rent the judge found due plus court costs; the landlord can't refuse it.
your tenant can stop the eviction if they pay you the amount of rent the judge determined was due, plus the court costs.
Source: Maryland Courts: Rent Court for Landlords Part 2, I Won in Rent Court, Now What?, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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The court's pages disagree on when the landlord can file the warrant after a rent judgment (four business days on one, the eighth business day on another), so no writ period is used.
Help the official pages name: Maryland Court Help Center, free talk with a lawyer.
More: Eviction process timeline by state · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$5,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
$5,000 or less, for money only, and without discovery such as interrogatories.
Source: District Court of Maryland: How to File a Small Claim (DC-CV-001BR, rev. 10/2023), checked November 2026
More: Maryland small claims court
Still to confirm
- Filing fee: check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases
- Time to answer or appear: check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases
- Hearing after filing: check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases
- Judgment to writ: check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases
- Right to counsel (statewide): check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases
- Diversion or mediation (statewide): check Maryland Courts: Housing Cases
Maryland kit
Maryland Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the Maryland return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Maryland?
No more than one month's rent per unit, regardless of the number of tenants; up to two months if the tenant qualifies for Department of Human Services utility assistance, the lease has the tenant pay utilities to the landlord, and both agree in writing (8-203(b)).
How long does a Maryland landlord have to return a deposit?
Within 45 days after the tenancy ends: the deposit with interest, less damages rightfully withheld (8-203(e)). What goes with it: A written list of damages claimed with itemized costs, sent by first-class mail to the tenant's last known address within 45 days; costs need supporting documents, which may be an estimate, with the final invoice after repairs (8-203(g), (j), (k)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Maryland?
From the landlord: At least 60 days' written notice. From the tenant: At least 30 days' written notice, unless the lease requires more.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Maryland?
Written notice at least 10 days before filing for failure to pay rent.
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Maryland?
Written notice at least 24 hours before an inspection or repairs; entry Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except emergencies.
How long does an eviction case take in Maryland?
Writ to lockout: 6 days. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
Can a Maryland deposit dispute go to small claims court?
The small claims limit in our data: $5,000: the most a small claims case can ask for. The court's own page explains what kinds of cases it hears.
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords