Maryland Rent Increase Rules & Notice Requirements in 2026

1. The statewide notice rule: Md. Real Prop. § 8-209

Section 8-209 of the Maryland Real Property Article applies only to residential leases and requires a landlord to notify a tenant in writing before increasing the tenant's rent. The notice period is not a flat 30 days for everyone — it scales with the length of the tenancy.

For tenancies of more than one month, the landlord must give at least 90 days' notice. For tenancies of more than one week but no more than one month, at least 60 days is required. For week-to-week tenancies, the minimum is 7 days if a written lease exists, or 21 days if the arrangement is purely oral.

The statute specifies how the notice must be delivered: by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing, or — if the tenant has elected it — by electronic delivery such as email, text message, or through an electronic tenant portal. Critically, a landlord may not condition acceptance of a lease application on the tenant's agreement to receive notices electronically.

Maryland state law also prohibits increasing rent during a fixed-term lease unless the lease agreement explicitly contains a provision allowing mid-lease increases. If a landlord fails to provide the full required notice period, the rent increase is invalid and the tenant is only obligated to pay the original amount.

2. Statewide cap: there isn't one — with important exceptions

Maryland does not have a statewide cap on how much rent can be increased annually. However, specific counties or cities may impose their own limits. For most Maryland landlords — those renting in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford, and most other jurisdictions — the amount of the increase is unconstrained, as long as proper notice is given and the increase is not retaliatory or discriminatory.

In practice, landlords in Maryland can raise rent by any amount unless restricted by local laws. Montgomery County caps it at 5.7% and Prince George's County at 6% or CPI-U + 3%. Other areas, like Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County, have no limits.

3. Local rent stabilization: current caps for 2025–2026

Three Maryland jurisdictions currently enforce rent stabilization with hard annual caps. The table below shows what applies as of the 2025–2026 period (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026).

Montgomery County details: The Rent Stabilization Law was enacted July 18, 2023, and became effective July 23, 2024. Unless otherwise exempt, all county-licensed residential rental units that are at least 23 years old are rent stabilized. A unit is considered 23 years old on January 1st of the 23rd year after the property's "Year Built" as listed in the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) database. Effective July 1, 2025, the rent stabilization increase allowance is 5.7%, down from 6% in 2024. This is calculated as CPI-U for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area plus 3%, or 6%, whichever is lower — and the applicable CPI-U for 2025 is 2.7%.

Prince George's County details: Prince George's County passed the Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024 (PRSA), designed to protect renters from excessive rent increases while ensuring landlords can maintain their properties. Rent increases are limited to 6% annually or CPI-U + 3%, whichever is lower. For age-restricted senior housing facilities, increases cannot exceed 4.5% or CPI-U, whichever is lower. The CPI-U for the July 2025 to June 2026 period means landlords may not increase rental rates for residents at age-restricted senior housing facilities more than 2.7%. Importantly, if you own the property through an LLC or corporate entity, the PRSA applies. However, it does not apply if you own five or fewer rental units and the units are owned by a natural person or a living trust of a natural person.

Takoma Park details: Under City Code Chapter 6.20.050(C), a two-month written notice must be provided to the tenant before a landlord can legally increase the rent. The allowance is the maximum amount a landlord can increase a tenant's rent during any 12-month period. It equals the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index for the Washington/Baltimore region and is effective for a 12-month period beginning July 1. The current allowance is 2.4%.

4. What a valid rent increase notice must contain

The statute at Md. Real Prop. § 8-209 tells you when to deliver notice and how to deliver it, but it doesn't enumerate every required element of the notice itself. At a minimum, best practice — and what most local jurisdictions expect — is that the written notice includes: the tenant's name and rental address; the current rent amount; the new rent amount; the date the increase takes effect; and the landlord's contact information.

To increase rent in Montgomery County, the landlord must provide written notice of the increase sent via U.S. Mail or delivered in person, but only if the tenant signs to confirm receipt of the notice. This delivery requirement is stricter than the statewide default. If you own regulated units in Montgomery County, hand-delivery without a signed receipt doesn't satisfy the rule — mail it or get the signature.

For landlords in jurisdictions with no rent cap, you're still bound by the statewide delivery rules. The written notice must be sent by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing. However, landlords and tenants can agree to deliver rent increase notices by email, text message, or electronic tenant portal — as long as the tenant is not required to accept those methods instead of mail.

5. Prohibited rent increases: retaliation and discrimination

Regardless of where your property sits in Maryland, two categories of rent increase are always illegal: retaliatory increases and discriminatory increases.

Under Maryland's retaliatory eviction statute, a landlord cannot raise the rent merely because the tenant complained to a government agency about housing code violations, joined a tenant's union, or filed a lawsuit against the landlord. An action by a landlord is not deemed retaliatory if the alleged retaliatory action occurs more than six months after the tenant's protected action. That six-month window cuts both ways: a rent increase issued within six months of a tenant complaint will face a strong presumption of retaliation in court.

If a court finds in favor of the tenant because the landlord engaged in a retaliatory action, the court may enter judgment against the landlord for damages not to exceed the equivalent of three months' rent, reasonable attorney fees, and court costs. That exposure is significant for a small landlord — document the legitimate business reason for every increase, and keep that documentation.

On the discrimination side, a rent increase that targets a tenant based on a protected class under the federal Fair Housing Act (race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, familial status) is unlawful regardless of the amount or the notice given. Several Maryland jurisdictions, including Frederick and Montgomery County, extend those protections to source of income as well.

6. The Renters' Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024: what changed for landlords

Governor Moore worked with the Maryland General Assembly to pass the Renters' Rights and Stabilization Act in 2024, establishing the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs. The law made several changes that directly affect self-managing landlords.

The Act mandated the creation of the Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights — a document that must be included with every residential lease. The Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights must be included with all residential rental leases beginning July 1, 2025. Annually, the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs will update and release a new Tenants' Bill of Rights by September 1, with an effective date of October 1. Missing this attachment isn't a minor oversight — the lease itself may be legally deficient without it. Download the current version from Maryland DHCD before executing any new lease or renewal.

The Act also codified the notice and delivery requirements now found in Md. Real Prop. § 8-209 (prohibiting landlords from forcing tenants to accept electronic notice as a condition of leasing) and added § 8-209.1, which establishes the framework authorizing local jurisdictions to adopt rent increase limits — the foundation on which the Prince George's County PRSA rests.

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