Maryland Landlord Repair Duties & Habitability Rights (2026)

What a landlord must fix, and your options when they do not

At a glance

• Core duty: Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211 — 房东须修复构成火灾危险或对租客生命健康安全造成严重实质威胁的缺陷（供热、水电、污水、鼠患、结构缺陷等）。
• Notice before acting: 8-211(g)：房东收到通知后有「合理时间」修复；超过 30 天未修复推定为不合理（可反驳）。
• Governing authority: Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers the landlord's duty to maintain a habitable home in Maryland, and what you can do when repairs go unmade.

It does not cover commercial leases, or conditions you caused yourself (which are treated differently).

The landlord's duty

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211 — 房东须修复构成火灾危险或对租客生命健康安全造成严重实质威胁的缺陷（供热、水电、污水、鼠患、结构缺陷等）。

8-211(d) 列出须修复的严重危险缺陷：缺暖气/照明/电力/冷热水（租客未付水电费所致除外）、污水、两单元以上鼠患、结构缺陷、健康/火灾危险。minor 缺陷与无危险性的 code violation 不适用。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d) ↗

What the duty covers in practice

Notice and time to cure

8-211(g)：房东收到通知后有「合理时间」修复；超过 30 天未修复推定为不合理（可反驳）。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(g) ↗

Your remedies when repairs go unmade

Landlord entry rules

马里兰房东进入须给合理通知（通常 24 小时）并在合理时间，紧急情况除外。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211 (reasonableness) ↗

When the duty does not apply

租客未支付水电费直接导致的缺水电，房东无修复义务。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)(1) ↗

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. § 8-211(d)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)(1)-(2)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)(3)-(5)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(g)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(h)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211 (reasonableness)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(d)(1)	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 Eviction Process · Maryland Rent Increase Rules · Maryland Landlord Retaliation

→ All Maryland tenant rights topics

Common questions