Maryland Landlord And Tenant Legal Questions

Although decriminalized, posseison and use of marajauna is still a criminal offense.  You may not be able to force your landlord to do something, but calling the police is always an option.  If it wee Section 8 housing, the landlord might be forced into action for recipeitns of Section 8 vouchers are not allowed to comit crime in Section 8 housing.... Read More

No. Presuming your lease is in writting and conforms to Maryland statue, and as long as you have done nothing else to breach the terms of the lease, the lease remains in force until the the time it say it will be renewed.  The landlord can then refuse to renew the lease at that time.... Read More

It would depend on the terms in your lease.  The lease is like a contract between you and the landlord and if it includes express terms, i.e, terms in writting, the courts normally strictly enforce those terms unless they are illegal.  However, if you did not renew the lease,and remain in the tenancy, you become a hold-over tenant and the lease becomes a month-to-month lease.  If you did, in fact, not hold over (by even a day) you may not be respsonble for the month's payment.  Again, not knowing the exact terms of the lease, it is had to say.... Read More

If your landlord wanted to he could probably try to hold you responsible for all of September.  One month's notice means one month before the end of the term you want to terminate, not 30 days. Your landlord can deduct for unpaid rent.  That's one of the things a security deposit is meant to protect against.  However, by not paying the rent and staying you may be leaving yourself vulnerable for a failure to pay rent case and possibly a security deposit dispute.... Read More

If your lease is month to month then your landlord can terminate you by giving one month's notice before the end of the next lease term.  In most cases this is actually slightly over than 30 days, so your landlord's notice may be insufficient.  Consider contacting an attorney and showing him or her the notice so they can help you determine whether or not it is valid. However, assuming they have provided you with a valid notice to terminate your tenancy, then it will be difficult for you to remain on the property because no reason is required to terminate a monthly lease agreement. I have written in more detail on notice to vacate cases in Maryland at the following link: https://tpf.legal/notice-to-vacate... Read More

If they won't take you seriously the next step is to have an attorney notify them in writing. If they do not fix it after sending a demand letter then you may have to escalate things even further. I have written about the effectiveness of demand letters to landlords and tenants at this link: https://tpf.legal/demand-letter... Read More

You probably have a case for rent escrow.  Rent escrow allows you to pay rent into the District Court's escrow account instead of to your landlord.  Your landlord will not receive the rent until they can fix the issue.  I have written in much more detail on rent escrow in Maryland at the following link: https://tpf.legal/rent-escrow... Read More

In Maryland there is a way to have a tenant pay or move- that is called Summary Ejectment- The Landlord ffiles a Failure to Pay Rent Complaint.  The landlord states on the complaint how much rent is due.  There is a trial.  The court finds that the landlord is entitled to the rent they are claiming.  Typically, the tenant then would have the right to pay what the court says they owe and stay, or not pay and be evicted.  If, when the landlord first files this kind of lawsuit they do not specifically state they want a 'money judgment' and also make sure that the tenant is to be personally served, not just postiong the complaint on the house- then the landlord if they win in court only has a judgment for possession.  They must go back to Court, in a seperate trial and ask for a money judgment.  When I represent a landlord that is what I recommend.  It is pointless to sue for a money judgement in a failure to pay rent matter because the landlord really doesn't know what their final losses are until the tenatn moves or is evicted.... Read More

It depends on if you breached any terms of your lease.  If you breached the lease, then the landlord has a right to be compensated for any damages.  If you did not breach the lease, and there are no other extenuating circumstances, then the landlord will not be entitled to damages.  If you have concerns about your situation, you should speak with a local consumer rights or landlord/tenant attorney to determine how to proceed. This is not intended to be legal advice, and is general in its nature. No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this information. Furthermore, this does not represent the views or opinions of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.... Read More