Maryland Eviction Process: Notice Periods, Timeline & Tenant Defenses (2026)

How eviction works step by step, and what defenses you have at each stage

At a glance

• Notice required before filing: 10 or 14 or 30 days, depending on the grounds
• Court required: Yes — possession is recovered through court, not by self-help
• Governing statute: Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the eviction process in Maryland for a residential tenancy — the notices a landlord must serve, the timeline, and what you can do at each stage.

It does not cover commercial leases, or mobile home parks where a separate statute applies. Where a city has its own rules, those may differ from the state statute below.

What the statute actually says

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401 — 驱逐须经 District Court 的 summary ejectment 程序，房东先送达法定书面通知，仅法院 warrant 由 sheriff 执行。

马里兰驱逐是司法驱逐。欠租 10 天 cure notice（8-401）；违约 30 天（8-402.1）；imminent danger 违约 14 天。房东不得自行换锁、断水电（8-216）。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401 ↗

Notice periods by grounds

How the process runs, step by step

1. 房东送达书面通知（欠租 10 天 / 违约 30/14 天） (from 欠租/违约). 欠租 10 天 cure、违约 30 天、imminent danger 14 天。
2. 房东向 District Court 提起 summary ejectment (from 通知期届满). 通知期届满未纠正，房东向 District Court 起诉。
3. 法院判决 + warrant of restitution 执行 (from 判决). 仅法院 warrant 由 sheriff 执行；房东不得自行移除（8-216）。

Can the landlord use self-help?

马里兰禁止自力救济（8-216）：房东不得换锁、断暖气/水/电或搬物；仅法院 warrant 可移除租客。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-216 ↗

Common landlord claims and how to answer them

Remedies for an illegal eviction

非法自力救济的租客可报警并主张损害赔偿（8-216）。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-216 ↗

Sources and how to verify them

Every figure on this page comes from the official text or a state court opinion, not from a summary. The table below lists each provision used and the date it was last checked.

Statute	Last verified	Source
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402.1	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401, 8-402.1	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-216	2026-10-16	official text ↗

Where the official text and a secondary summary disagree, this page follows the official text and says so. Where a provision admits of more than one reading, that is flagged rather than smoothed over.

When you need a lawyer instead of a tool

A self-help guide is the right starting point for understanding your position. Get legal help if:

• You have received an eviction notice — the timeline is now court-driven
• The dispute involves discrimination, unsafe conditions or retaliation
• Your landlord has filed anything in court already
• You are unsure whether a local ordinance changes the state rule

Local legal aid organisations and tenant unions offer free help for qualifying cases. They are independent of this site — we list them because they are the right place to go, not because they link here.

More Maryland guides

Maryland Security Deposit Return · Maryland Security Deposit Rules · Maryland Rent Increase Rules · Maryland Repairs & Habitability · Maryland Landlord Retaliation

→ All Maryland tenant rights topics

Common questions