Landlord guide, Maryland (MD)
Maryland eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Maryland starts with the 10-day notice of intent to file: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401(c), (h)). Then the landlord files in the District Court, where the case is called failure to pay rent action; the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
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- Notice for unpaid rent
- 10 calendar days
- Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401(c), (h)
- Court
- District Court
- Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401(b), (e), (f), (i), 8-402.1(b)
- Time to appeal
- 4 days
- Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401(b), (e), (f), (i), 8-402.1(b)
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Maryland landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Maryland’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 10-day notice of intent to file, 10 calendar days (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401(c), (h)).
Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Another breach of the lease: the 30-day notice of breach, 30 calendar days (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402.1(a), (b)).
No reason, month to month: 60 days’ notice (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402(c)(2)).
What the statute adds, in English
The landlord must give written notice that a claim will be filed if the tenant does not cure within 10 days. After filing the tenant may still redeem by paying all past-due amounts and costs before the eviction is carried out, unless three rent judgments were entered against them in the prior 12 months.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the District Court, where the case is called failure to pay rent action (Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401(b), (e), (f), (i), 8-402.1(b)).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
In the statute, in English
trial on the fifth day after the complaint is filed
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
If the court rules for you, the tenant has 4 days to appeal.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
In the statute, in English
possession must be given within 4 days after trial, and a warrant of restitution may issue once 7 days pass without compliance
Maryland eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 10 calendar days
- Time to answer
- Not confirmed
- Hearing
- Quoted in step 3
- Time to appeal
- 4 days
- Removal
- Quoted in step 5
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Maryland bans self-help eviction (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-216), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
A landlord may not lock the tenant out, willfully cut heat, water, electricity or gas, or take any other action to retake the unit, except through a warrant of restitution executed by a sheriff or constable.
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Maryland eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Maryland in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Maryland notice with its 10 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
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Dardaris
The statutes
Maryland eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 10-day notice of intent to file10 calendar daysPaying in full within the period stops itThe landlord must give written notice that a claim will be filed if the tenant does not cure within 10 days. After filing the tenant may still redeem by paying all past-due amounts and costs before the eviction is carried out, unless three rent judgments were entered against them in the prior 12 months. | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401(c), (h) |
| Notice for a lease breach | 30-day notice of breach30 calendar days14 days when the breach shows a clear and imminent danger of serious harm. The court may evict only if the breach was substantial and warrants eviction, and the statute gives no cure period. | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402.1(a), (b) |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 60 days | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402(c)(2) |
| How a notice is served | first-class mail with a certificate of mailingaffixing to the door of the premisesemail, text message or tenant portal if the tenant elected electronic delivery | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401(c)(2) |
| Court and action | District Courtfailure to pay rent action | Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401(b), (e), (f), (i), 8-402.1(b) |
| Time to answer | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Hearing | trial on the fifth day after the complaint is filed | Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401(b), (e), (f), (i), 8-402.1(b) |
| Time to appeal | 4 days | Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401(b), (e), (f), (i), 8-402.1(b) |
| Removal | possession must be given within 4 days after trial, and a warrant of restitution may issue once 7 days pass without compliance | Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401(b), (e), (f), (i), 8-402.1(b) |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedA landlord may not lock the tenant out, willfully cut heat, water, electricity or gas, or take any other action to retake the unit, except through a warrant of restitution executed by a sheriff or constable. | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-216 |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-401&enactments=false
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-402.1&enactments=false
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-216&enactments=false
- https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/department-housing-community-affairs/rent-stabilization/rent-stabilization-increases-limitations
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-203&enactments=false
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-203.1&enactments=false
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-208&enactments=false
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-220&enactments=false
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-221&enactments=false
- https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-402&enactments=false
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Maryland
How long does an eviction take in Maryland?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 10 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Maryland landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 10-day notice of intent to file, which gives the tenant 10 calendar days (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401(c), (h)). Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Can a landlord change the locks in Maryland?
No. Maryland bans self-help eviction (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-216), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Maryland?
In the District Court, where the case is called failure to pay rent action (Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401(b), (e), (f), (i), 8-402.1(b)).
How does a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy in Maryland?
With 60 days’ notice (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402(c)(2)). If the tenant stays on after that, the eviction process on this page applies.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Maryland?
Yes. The tenant has 4 days after the judgment to appeal.
The eviction process in other states
- Kansas: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Kentucky: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Louisiana: 5 business days for unpaid rent
- Maine: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Massachusetts: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Michigan: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Minnesota: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Mississippi: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
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