Maryland's 2025 Tenant Rights Law: What Every Self-Managing Landlord Must Know Before the Next Lease
A Waldorf landlord called me in November 2025. She had just renewed three leases without making any changes. Her leases were the same ones she had been using for four years. She did not know Maryland had passed sweeping tenant protection legislation that took effect in October 2025.
After a quick review, we found three issues across her leases that were now out of compliance: no written tenant rights notice attached, security deposit return language that referenced the old timeline, and a retaliation clause that did not reflect the updated presumption period. She had renewed three tenancies with deficient leases.
If you have not updated your lease since October 2025, there is a strong chance yours has the same problems.
Lease compliance is one of the most common issues I see on coaching calls. If you self-manage in Southern Maryland, book a free call at rental911.net/free-coaching-call and we will review your lease together.
The 5 Changes Maryland Landlords Must Know
1. Written Tenant Rights Notice — Now Required at Lease Signing
Maryland landlords must now provide a written summary of tenant rights at every lease signing and renewal. The state has published a standard form. You must provide it, and you should get a signed acknowledgment back. This is not optional and is not satisfied by including rights language inside the lease itself — it must be a separate, standalone document.
2. Expanded Disclosure Requirements
The 2025 law expanded what landlords must disclose in writing before or at lease signing. This includes current known conditions affecting habitability, any pending code violations on the property, and the identity and contact information for the property owner. For self-managing landlords who manage through an LLC, the disclosure must still identify the actual owner.
3. Security Deposit Return Window — Now 30 Days, Strictly Enforced
The prior law gave landlords 45 days to return the security deposit with an itemized statement of deductions. The 2025 law tightened this to 30 days from the date the tenant vacates and provides a forwarding address. Leases that still reference 45 days are inaccurate and create unnecessary exposure. Update the language now.
4. Expanded Retaliation Presumption — Now 90 Days
Under prior law, the presumption of retaliation window was 30 days after a tenant exercised a legal right. The 2025 law extended that window to 90 days. If a tenant files a complaint in September and you serve a non-renewal notice in November, you are in the 90-day window. Document your business reason clearly and date it. Timing matters more than ever.
5. Rent Increase Notice — Now Required in Writing with Additional Lead Time
Written notice for rent increases is now required across all rental types, with lead time requirements that vary by tenancy length. Month-to-month tenancies require at least 60 days written notice of any rent increase. A verbal conversation or a text message is not sufficient.
What Happened in Waldorf When a Landlord Caught It Early
After reviewing one Waldorf landlord's three leases in November 2025, we updated all of them before any of the three renewal dates passed. We added the tenant rights notice attachment, updated the security deposit return timeline, rewrote the retaliation clause to reflect the 90-day window, and added a rent increase notice provision. Each tenant signed the updated lease. That landlord is now fully compliant heading into 2026.
Questions Southern Maryland Landlords Ask About the 2025 Changes
Q: Does this apply to leases that were already signed before October 2025?
The requirements apply to new signings and renewals — they do not retroactively void existing leases. However, at each renewal or new tenancy beginning, the updated requirements apply in full.
Q: What if I manage month-to-month tenancies with no formal lease renewal?
Month-to-month tenancies that continue without a new signed agreement are still governed by state law. Provide the tenant rights notice to any current month-to-month tenant if you have not already done so.
Q: Where can I get the required tenant rights disclosure form?
The Maryland Attorney General's office and the Department of Housing and Community Development have published forms. On a coaching call, I can walk you through exactly which form applies to your county and tenancy type.
A lease that was compliant in 2024 may not be compliant today. One session is all it takes to know exactly where yours stands and what needs to change before your next signing or renewal.
Book your free coaching call at rental911.net/free-coaching-call
