Our Maryland Rental Lease Agreement Templates are kept updated and comply with all legal statutes within Maryland law. It is wise to have a lease in writing, to have an oral agreement is bad practice and can get either party into legal disputes. It’s legal to have an oral agreement if the lease is for a period of less than one (1) year, however if a lease is for a period for more than one year, it must be in writing.
Most leases are very different from each other and they can all be legal under the laws of Maryland. Most landlords use the same lease agreement for all their potential and current tenants, however, as a tenant, depending on how the negotiations go, your lease can be different. Our Maryland rental lease agreements offer landlords and tenants flexible agreements to uphold the ability for you to adjust our agreements.
Form Description Types
Maryland Commercial Lease Agreement
Maryland Month to Month Rental Agreement
Maryland Rental Application
Maryland Sublease Agreement
Maryland Residential Lease Agreement
Maine Statutes
Leasing Laws & Disclosures
Application Fees
Landlords in the state of Maryland can charge up to $25 for an application fee. This money is used to cover the expenses of processing an application. If the application fee is more than $25 for whatever reason, the landlord must return any leftover money that wasn’t used no later than 15 after a tenant has moved in or after the landlord has notified you that the lease will not take place.
Rent Receipts
By law, a landlord must give a rent receipt if the tenant pays rent in cash. For security sake, a tenant should always ask for a rent receipt no matter how rent is paid.
Security Deposits
A landlord may charge up to two (2) months worth of rent which protects the landlord from unpaid rent, damages against the property, and other expenses incurred due to a breach.
Lease Renewals
Quite frequent, language in a lease agreement will allow the term of the lease to renew. If that’s the case with your lease, you need to notify, in writing, your landlord 30 days before the move-out date. Notices should be delivered by certified mail and you should keep a copy of the receipt.
Breaking a Lease
Often times, life happens and one must break a lease. If you have a one year lease and you decide to break the lease with four months remaining on the lease, you will be responsible for the remaining four months until the landlord finds another tenant for your property. Like most states, military personnel who receive orders to permanently change addresses (or temporary duty of 3 months or more) can terminate the lease with proper notice.
Lead-Based Paint Hazards
The federal law requires any house built before 1978 be inspected for lead-based paint because it’s every harmful to human beings, especially children. On top on that, the state of Maryland has their own law stating any house built before 1950 be check for lead-based paint which also states the following:
- Every home built before 1950 must register annually with the Maryland Department of the Environment and pay a $10 fee.
- Two pamphlets called Lead Poisoning Prevention: Notice of Tenant’s Rights” and “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home,” must be given to all tenants before moving in.
- Full Risk Reduction Measures of lead-based paint must be taken and a Risk Reduction Certificate must be given to all tenants before moving in.
Eviction
An eviction is a legal procedure in the state of Maryland. A landlord can not evict a tenant without first going to a district court and getting a judgement. If a tenant breaches their lease, the landlord’s first move is to give 30 days written notice of your eviction (14 days notice if the tenants behavior is deemed dangerous to others). If the tenant fails to move out after 30 days, the legal eviction process will then start.