LANDLORD GUIDE · MARYLAND
Reviewed November 13, 2026
For an existing private residential tenancy. Fixed-term changes, assisted housing, mobile-home spaces and required local forms need a separate review. This guide explains selected rules; it is not a coverage determination or legal advice for a particular property.
State notice depends on the tenancy term
Maryland Real Property §8-209 requires written notice before a residential rent increase: at least 90 days for a term longer than one month; 60 days for a term longer than one week but no longer than one month; and, for a term of a week or less, seven days with a written lease or 21 days without one. This tool covers the monthly category only.
The statute preserves stronger local protections. A 60-day monthly notice may therefore be insufficient in a regulated county or city. A fixed term also requires contract review; advance notice is not permission to reprice the unexpired agreement.
Montgomery County
For regulated units, the county publishes a 5.2% annual allowance effective July 1, 2026. The formula is the lesser of CPI plus three percentage points or 6%, and an ordinary increase is generally limited to once in 12 months. The county's 3.3% voluntary guideline for exempt units is a different concept, not the regulated-unit cap.
Check the unit's coverage, registration and the county's 90-day notice/form requirements. County rent stabilization does not apply within the incorporated municipalities of Gaithersburg, Rockville, Takoma Park or Laytonsville; those addresses need their own jurisdiction review. A two-year agreement cannot simply be repriced midway because a new annual allowance was published.
Takoma Park
Takoma Park publishes a 3.0% rent-stabilization allowance for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Use that corrected city figure rather than Montgomery County's allowance. Check coverage and exclusions, including the city's treatment of single-family homes, accessory apartments and owner-occupied duplexes.
The city describes two months' written notice; also satisfy Maryland's applicable minimum and delivery requirements. Verify the permitted frequency and the unit's rent history before applying an annual percentage.
Prince George's County
For July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the county publishes 5.7% for regulated units outside age-restricted senior facilities and 2.7% for regulated units in those facilities. The formulas and categories differ; do not use the general figure for senior housing.
Exemptions include specified newer construction, qualifying small owners and other defined categories, but the conditions must actually exist. Use the county's property lookup and exemption procedure. Rent banking, fees, capital-improvement surcharges and fair-return requests have separate policies; a generic base-rent increase should not be used to bypass them.
[4] Prince George's County - PRSA rules, allowances and exemptions
Use the specified delivery process
Section 8-209 specifies first-class mail with a certificate of mailing, or electronic delivery elected by the tenant. The electronic method can be email, text or a tenant portal and must provide proof of transmission. The landlord cannot make the tenant's election of electronic notice a condition of accepting the lease application.
Keep the election and transmission proof if using electronic delivery. Do not substitute proof that you created a portal document for proof that it was transmitted. For mail, keep the certificate and the exact notice. The monthly tool offers these Maryland-specific choices.
Worked example: the county changes the answer
Assume a regulated Montgomery County unit has a lawful $2,000 base and qualifies for the 5.2% adjustment for the stated period. That produces a $104 increase and $2,104 total. An owner must still satisfy the lease, prior-increase interval, local form and notice period. The same $2,000 base in a different regulated jurisdiction requires that jurisdiction's allowance; state notice alone does not determine the amount.
Keep the coverage decision, rent history, calculation, required form, signed notice and delivery proof. If the tenant raises a coverage or exemption question, resolve it before charging the difference.
The local sections are selected examples, not an exhaustive municipal directory. Verify city boundaries and unit coverage. A longer notice period does not authorize an otherwise prohibited increase.
Official sources and updates
Dated caps apply only to the periods stated. Check the official sources before preparing a later increase.