Skip to content
EvictWeb
Eviction rules depend on the state. Which state is the rental in?

Maryland eviction laws

Notices, deadlines, court and tenant rights in Maryland — in plain English.

Learn › Maryland

Overview

The court case
Failure to pay rent (summary ejectment) / tenant holding over / breach of lease
Court
District Court of Maryland in the county where the property is located
Main laws
Md. Code, Real Property §§ 8-401 (failure to pay rent), 8-402 (tenant holding over), 8-402.1 (breach of lease)

Just-cause protection

No statewide law

Maryland has no statewide just-cause rule. Some localities (for example Montgomery County, Prince George's County and Takoma Park) have rent-stabilization or just-cause rules. (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402)

Notices before filing, by reason

What a landlord must serve before filing — and what a tenant should expect to receive.

Unpaid rent — Notice of Intent to File a Complaint for Summary Ejectment (Failure to Pay Rent)

Before filing a failure-to-pay-rent case, the landlord must send the tenant a written 10-day Notice of Intent to File, using the Judiciary's form. The tenant can pay what is due to avoid the case, and can also 'redeem' (pay all rent and costs) up to the eviction, unless 3 rent judgments were entered in the prior 12 months.

Notice of Intent to File a Complaint for Summary Ejectment (Failure to Pay Rent)

Notice period
10 days
Counting
Count 10 calendar days after the notice is delivered (or mailed). File only after the 10th day. Double-check with the court: if the 10th day falls on a weekend or holiday, wait until the next business day.
Tenant can fix it?
Yes, within the notice period
Must include
  • Must use the Maryland Judiciary form DC-CV-115
  • Tenant name(s) and property address
  • Rent due and owing and the period it covers (rent only; late fees are not rent in this case)
  • Statement that the landlord intends to file in District Court if the tenant does not pay within 10 days
  • Landlord name, contact and signature
How to serve
Hand it to the tenant in person; Post it on the door; First-class mail; Email (only if the tenant agreed in writing). Deliver by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing, by hand delivery, or by affixing it to the tenant's door. If the tenant elected electronic notice in writing, email, text or a tenant portal is allowed. Keep proof (certificate of mailing, photo, or written record).
Official form
Maryland Judiciary form DC-CV-115, Notice of Intent to File a Complaint for Summary Ejectment (Failure to Pay Rent)
Law
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401(c)
  • The complaint (DC-CV-082) must state that the notice was given and how.
  • Tenant's right of redemption: paying all rent owed plus court-awarded costs any time before the eviction is carried out stops it, unless the tenant had 3 rent judgments in the previous 12 months.
  • Rental license: in counties/cities requiring a rental license (e.g. Baltimore City, Montgomery County, Prince George's County), the landlord must show a current license to file.
The tenant broke the lease or rules — 30-Day Notice of Breach of Lease (Notice to Quit)

For a substantial breach of lease (other than rent), the lease must allow eviction for that breach, and the landlord must give 30 days' written notice stating the breach and intent to repossess. A 14-day notice is allowed if the breach is a clear and imminent danger of serious harm.

30-Day Notice of Breach of Lease (Notice to Quit)

Notice period
30 days
Counting
Count 30 calendar days after delivery; file after the date passes.
Tenant can fix it?
No
Must include
  • Tenant name(s) and property address
  • The lease term breached and the facts of the breach
  • Statement that the landlord intends to repossess the premises
  • Date to vacate (at least 30 days after notice)
  • Landlord signature and date
How to serve
Hand it to the tenant in person; Post it on the door; First-class mail. Must be in writing. Deliver in person or by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing (recommended), or as the lease allows. Double-check with the court: 8-402(c) service method; keep proof of delivery.
Law
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402.1(a)
  • The court must find the breach was substantial and warrants eviction.
  • The lease must provide for forfeiture/termination for the breach.
The lease ended and the tenant stayed — Notice to Quit (Tenant Holding Over)

To end a fixed-term lease at its end date, the landlord must give written notice to quit before it expires: 60 days for most residential leases, 90 days for year-to-year. If the tenant stays after the date, the landlord may file a tenant holding over case.

Notice to Quit (Tenant Holding Over)

Notice period
60 days (week-to-week: 7 days, month-to-month: 60 days, year-to-year: 90 days)
Longer notice
Week-to-week without a written lease: 21 days.
Counting
The notice must be given at least 60 days before the lease ends (90 days for year-to-year; 7 days for week-to-week with a written lease, 21 days without). Count calendar days.
Tenant can fix it?
No
Must include
  • Tenant name(s) and property address
  • Statement that the tenancy ends and the date the tenant must leave (at the end of the term)
  • Landlord signature and date
How to serve
Hand it to the tenant in person; Post it on the door; First-class mail. Must be in writing. Deliver in person or by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing (recommended), or as the lease allows. Double-check with the court: 8-402(c) service method; keep proof of delivery.
Law
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402(c)
  • Montgomery County and Baltimore City have extra notice and content requirements. VERIFY local law.
  • A lease may require a longer notice period.
Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no fault) — Notice to Quit (Termination of Periodic Tenancy)

A month-to-month tenancy can be ended without a reason by a written notice at least 60 days before the end of the tenancy; year-to-year 90 days; week-to-week 7 days (21 days if no written lease).

Notice to Quit (Termination of Periodic Tenancy)

Notice period
60 days (week-to-week: 7 days, month-to-month: 60 days, year-to-year: 90 days)
Longer notice
Week-to-week without a written lease: 21 days.
Counting
Count calendar days; the notice must be given at least 60 days before the termination date.
Tenant can fix it?
No
Must include
  • Tenant name(s) and property address
  • Statement that the tenancy is terminated and the date the tenant must leave (end of a rental period)
  • Landlord signature and date
How to serve
Hand it to the tenant in person; Post it on the door; First-class mail. Must be in writing. Deliver in person or by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing (recommended), or as the lease allows. Double-check with the court: 8-402(c) service method; keep proof of delivery.
Law
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402(c)
  • Local just-cause rules (e.g. Takoma Park, Montgomery County rent stabilization) may prevent no-fault terminations. VERIFY local law.
Illegal activity, violence or serious damage — 14-Day Notice of Breach of Lease (Clear and Imminent Danger)

If the breach shows a clear and imminent danger that the tenant or someone on the premises will seriously harm themselves, others, the landlord, or the property, the landlord may give a 14-day notice.

14-Day Notice of Breach of Lease (Clear and Imminent Danger)

Notice period
14 days
Counting
Count 14 calendar days after delivery.
Tenant can fix it?
No
Must include
  • Tenant name(s) and property address
  • Facts of the breach and why it is a clear and imminent danger
  • Statement that the landlord intends to repossess the premises
  • Date to vacate (at least 14 days after notice)
  • Landlord signature and date
How to serve
Hand it to the tenant in person; Post it on the door; First-class mail. Must be in writing. Deliver in person or by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing (recommended), or as the lease allows. Double-check with the court: 8-402(c) service method; keep proof of delivery.
Law
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402.1(a)(2)
  • The lease must provide for termination for this kind of breach.

How a tenant responds

No written answer is required in District Court landlord-tenant cases. The tenant must appear at the trial date on the summons (failure-to-pay-rent trials are scheduled quickly, often within days). The tenant may raise defenses, including rent escrow, at trial.

Deadline: at the hearing (no fixed written-answer deadline) · Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401(d), 8-402, 8-402.1

City and local rules

  • Montgomery County: rent stabilization (since 2024) and rental licensing; landlords must follow county notice rules and include required information. VERIFY current county code.
  • Prince George's County: rent stabilization and rental licensing; VERIFY current status.
  • Baltimore City: rental license required to file; tenant cannot waive the landlord's written notice to quit (8-402).
  • Takoma Park: just-cause eviction and rent stabilization.

Official court forms

Landlords

  • DC-CV-115 — Notice of Intent to File a Complaint for Summary Ejectment (Failure to Pay Rent)
  • DC-CV-080 — Complaint and Summons Against Tenant Holding Over
  • DC-CV-085 — Complaint and Summons Against Tenant in Breach of Lease
  • DC-CV-081 — Petition for Warrant of Restitution

All Maryland forms →

Sources

Checked 2026-09. General information, not legal advice; laws change and courts differ. We strive for accuracy but don’t guarantee it.