Housing & Tenant · Rent Increase Notice
Rent Increase Notice in Maryland
How many days of advance notice a landlord must give before a rent increase takes effect in Maryland, how a fixed-term lease is treated, and what to check, cited to the statute.
The notice periods in Maryland
How much warning is required before a higher rent can take effect, and how a fixed lease is treated.
| When | Notice in Maryland | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Tenancy longer than one month | 90 days | At least 90 days written notice before the rent increase, the longest in the country. |
| Tenancy over a week but not exceeding one month | 60 days | At least 60 days written notice before the increase. |
| Tenancy of one week or less | 7 or 21 days | 7 days with a written lease, or 21 days without one. |
| Fixed-term lease | None mid-term | During a fixed-term lease the rent is fixed until renewal. The 90-day notice applies to a tenancy longer than one month. |
| Limit on the amount | Separate rule | Maryland has no statewide cap, but Montgomery County and Prince George’s County cap annual increases at an inflation-linked figure. Those limits change every year, so check the current county figure and its source rather than relying on a number here. |
| Local ordinance | Varies | Significant in Maryland. Montgomery County and Prince George’s County cap annual increases at an inflation-linked figure that is updated yearly. The county question has to be asked first, in this topic as in eviction, where Maryland also names counties directly. |
| If notice is skipped | Not effective | The increase takes effect only through a proper written notice: 90 days for a tenancy longer than one month, 60 days for a shorter periodic tenancy. Two counties go further and cap the amount, so the answer for a Montgomery County or Prince George’s County renter is genuinely different from the rest of the state. |
| Statute | Md. Code Ann., Real Prop. §8-209 | The controlling statute for this notice period. Read the full text through the source link below. |
Section 8-209 is a recent addition, so many published guides have not caught up with the 90-day figure. The county caps change every year, so never rely on a specific county number without a date and source.
Next steps if your rent is going up
Concrete, neutral steps to check a rent increase in Maryland. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Expect 90 days for most tenancies
Maryland requires at least 90 days written notice before a rent increase for a tenancy longer than one month, the longest in the country. A shorter periodic tenancy gets 60 days.
- Ask the county question first
Montgomery County and Prince George’s County cap annual increases at an inflation-linked figure. If you live in one, the amount is limited, not just the notice, so check the current county rule.
- Do not rely on a stale county number
The county caps update every year, so confirm the current figure and its source before relying on it. A number from last year may be out of date.
- Get local help
A local Maryland legal aid office can confirm the notice and the current county cap. Search for legal aid in your area.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. Read your own lease and check for a local ordinance, since either can change the notice that applies to your home.
What Maryland renters get wrong
Maryland gives renters the longest rent increase notice in the country at ninety days, and it is a recent change that most published guides have not caught up with. Under Md. Code, Real Prop. 8-209 a landlord must give at least ninety days written notice before a rent increase for a tenancy longer than one month, sixty days for a shorter periodic tenancy, and seven or twenty-one days for a tenancy of a week or less depending on whether there is a written lease. Two Maryland counties go further and cap the amount itself. Montgomery County and Prince George's County limit annual increases to an inflation-linked figure, which means the answer for a renter there is genuinely different from the answer for the rest of the state. Those county figures change every year, so they must never be published without a date and a source. Maryland is a state where the county question has to be asked first, in this topic and in eviction, where the code also names Baltimore City and Montgomery County directly. For most Maryland renters the headline is the ninety-day notice, and for county-capped renters it is the annual limit on the amount.
Common questions
Is Maryland rent increase notice really 90 days?
Yes, for a tenancy longer than one month. Md. Code, Real Prop. 8-209 requires at least 90 days written notice, the longest in the country. A shorter periodic tenancy gets 60 days. It is a recent change many guides miss.
Does my county cap the amount in Maryland?
It might. Montgomery County and Prince George’s County cap annual increases at an inflation-linked figure. If you live in one, the amount is limited, not just the notice, so check the current county rule and its source.
What is this year’s Montgomery County limit in Maryland?
The county caps update every year, so the current figure has to be checked against the county’s own source with a date. This page does not print a number, because a stale figure would mislead. Confirm the current allowance locally.
What notice applies to a week-to-week tenancy in Maryland?
For a tenancy of one week or less, Maryland requires 7 days notice with a written lease or 21 days without one. A tenancy over a week but not exceeding one month gets 60 days, and longer tenancies get 90 days.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.