YouTube explainer (July 2025) by Jenny Utz (Utts Property Management) summarizing the new Maryland Tenants Bill of Rights that goes into effect July 2025. Covers capped application fees ($25 for landlords with ≥5 units and waiver if tenant has screening report within 30 days), required lease inclusions (tenant Bill of Rights, property condition disclosure, repair responsibilities), notice periods for rent increases (90 days) and lease termination (60 or 90 days depending on term), entry/site-visit rules (24-hour notice starting Oct 1, 2025; entry allowed 7am–7pm Mon–Sat; emergencies exempt), security deposit limits (capped at one month’s rent unless utility assistance; must be held in interest-bearing account; 45 days to return with itemized deductions and paid receipts), and eviction procedure changes (10-day written notice before filing for nonpayment; tenants may have court-appointed counsel). Emphasizes documentation, non-retaliation, transparency, and landlord professionalism; ends with resource offer (checklist, contact).
The new Maryland Tenants Bill of Rights goes into effect July 2025. So whether you're a landlord or a tenant, this law is going to change the way we handle leasing notices, repairs and a lot more. Hi, I'm Jenny Utz, CEO of Utts Property Management, Maryland's number one property management company. Let's break down what this new law, how you can be prepared and protected. First up, let's talk about the leasing process. Application fees are now capped. $25 for landlords with five or more units. So if a tenant also already has a screening report, we then have to waive that fee if it's within the last 30 days. Also, every lease must now include a copy of the tenant Bill of Rights, a property condition disclosure and clear terms about who handles what repairs. So landlords take note. The rent increases that now go into effect require a 90 day notice. To end a lease, you'll need to give either 60 or 90 days, depending on the term. If we're month to month or year to year. And tenants have stricter notice periods as well. So the key to all of this is proper communication. Also, let's talk about site visits. Starting October 1, 2025, landlords must give that 24 hour notice before entering a rental property. And they can only do it between 7am and 7pm, Monday, Saturday. Caveat to that is if there's any emergencies, you are still able to enter the property with no notice. Let's get into security deposits. Security deposits are now capped at one month's rent unless the tenant receives utility assistance. You're able to change that. All funds also must be held in an interest bearing account. And landlords have 45 days to return that deposit with an itemized deduction list. Keep in mind, with that itemized deduction list, you must have paid receipts of the things being done. Meaning you can't just list a whole bunch of itemized things and never actually perform the work to get them done. Now, before filing for eviction for non payments, landlords now need to issue a 10 day written notice. Tenants can also have a court appointed legal counsel, so prepare for longer timelines and more documentation. One thing that we've implemented a long time ago is making sure we start that non payment action. The 10 day rip. Right? Right. As soon as we're allowed to to start that time frame, since that is going to be a longer time frame for eviction. Now, landlords can't retaliate when someone's not paying or we're trying to get somebody out. What's happening in some instances is landlords were shutting off the utilities, changing locks without a court order and that's considered illegal eviction. It's also considered the retaliation like raising the rent before a complaint that's now more enforceable. So make sure is being documented and you're doing everything by the book for one tenant and for all of them. So that way there's a trail of everything that's been done the same and consistent across the board. The one thing that's great about this law is it's moving us towards more transparency and accountability on both sides. Landlords must treat property management like a professional service. Tenants now have clearer rights and expectations so the best relationships are going to come from mutual respect and clear communication. If you are a landlord or a tenant in Maryland, now's the time to get educated. Download our free checklist, subscribe and get updates or reach out with any questions you might have. Let's build smarter rental experiences together.
