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Landlord Retaliation Laws in Maryland

Maryland bars landlords from evicting, threatening eviction, arbitrarily raising rent, cutting services or ending a periodic tenancy because a tenant made a good-faith complaint, sued, joined a tenants' group or called police or emergency services; action more than 6 months later is not deemed retaliatory.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Maryland at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
Yes
Presumption period
No presumption (6-month limit)
No presumption is stated. A landlord action more than 6 months after the protected act may not be deemed retaliatory.
Protected tenant actions
Good-faith complaints, lawsuits, tenant groups, calls to police
Complaints to the landlord or a public agency about lease or law violations or serious health or safety conditions; lawsuits or testimony; tenants' groups; calling police or emergency services.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Maryland

Does Maryland law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in Maryland: yes.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in Maryland?

Presumption period in Maryland: No presumption (6-month limit). No presumption is stated. A landlord action more than 6 months after the protected act may not be deemed retaliatory.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in Maryland?

Protected tenant actions in Maryland: Good-faith complaints, lawsuits, tenant groups, calls to police. Complaints to the landlord or a public agency about lease or law violations or serious health or safety conditions; lawsuits or testimony; tenants' groups; calling police or emergency services.

Where do the Maryland landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from Md. Code, Real Prop. 8-208.1. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

A court may award damages up to 3 months' rent, reasonable attorney fees and court costs for a retaliatory action.

Relief generally requires the tenant to be current on rent at the time of the alleged retaliation, unless rent was withheld under the lease, Real Prop. 8-211 or a comparable local ordinance.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.