Maryland Retaliation Law: What Counts & the Presumption Window (2026)

What counts as retaliation, and the window where the law presumes it

At a glance

• Protection window: 182 days
• Governing authority: Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(a)

Who this covers — and who it does not

This page covers landlord retaliation in Maryland — what a landlord may not do after you exercise a protected right.

It does not cover commercial leases, or conduct outside the protected window described below.

What the law prohibits

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1 — 房东不得因租客善意投诉、起诉/作证、参与租客组织、或召唤执法/急救而报复（驱逐、任意涨租、减服务、终止定期租约）。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(a) ↗

The protection window

For 182 days after a protected act, certain landlord actions are presumed retaliatory.

8-208.1(e)：受保护行为后超过 6 个月的房东行为，不视为报复（即保护窗口为 6 个月）。8-208.1(d)：救济以租客在报复行为发生时租金结清为前提，除非租客依法扣租（8-211）。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(d), (e) ↗

Protected activities

What a landlord may not do

Burden of proof

租客主张报复（作为驱逐抗辩或独立损害之诉）；法院认定报复成立的，房东担责。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(b), (c) ↗

Remedies

Exemptions and limits

租客报复主张若属恶意或缺乏实质理由，法院可反判租客赔偿 ≤3 个月租金 + 律师费（8-208.1(c)(2)）。

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(c)(2) ↗

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. § 8-208.1(a)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(d), (e)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(a)(2)(i)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(a)(2)(ii)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(a)(2)(iii)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(a)(2)(iv)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(a)(1)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(b), (c)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(c)(1)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(b)(2)(i)	2026-10-16	official text ↗
Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1(c)(2)	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 Repairs & Habitability

→ All Maryland tenant rights topics

Common questions