Maryland Rent Increase Laws: The Landlord and Tenant Guide
No Statewide Cap · Section 8-209 Notice · Montgomery and Prince George’s Rent Stabilization · Takoma Park · Retaliation Limits
Maryland has no statewide rent-control cap, but that does not make it a free-for-all. Two things constrain almost every increase: a statewide written-notice rule under Maryland Code, Real Property, section 8-209 that runs up to 90 days, and a fast-growing patchwork of local rent-stabilization programs that are stricter and control where they apply. Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Takoma Park each cap covered increases with their own formulas, while most of the rest of the state has no percentage limit at all. Layered on top are the retaliation bar in section 8-208.1 and fair-housing rules, including statewide source-of-income protection under the HOME Act. Get all of them right and your increase holds; miss one and a tenant can refuse the overage and use the defect against you.
The stakes are practical. An increase served with the wrong notice period, or one that busts a local rent-stabilization cap, is not just risky — the defective portion is unenforceable, and a retaliatory or discriminatory increase can expose you to damages on top. Because the local allowances are recalculated every year and the statewide notice statute is recent, treat every figure in this guide as a starting point and verify the current number for the property’s exact county or city before you serve anything.
Below, a detailed overview video summarizes the Maryland framework; the sections that follow break down each piece — whether Maryland has rent control, the section 8-209 notice periods, when you may raise rent at all, the Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Takoma Park programs, retaliation, fair housing and the HOME Act, and a step-by-step landlord playbook — plus a Maryland-specific FAQ.
Maryland Rent Increase Rules at a Glance
Statewide Cap
None (local caps control)
Notice Required
90 days (>1 mo) · 60 days (≤1 mo)
Mid-Lease
Not allowed unless lease permits
Local Control
Montgomery, Prince George’s, Takoma Park
Is There Rent Control in Maryland?
The short answer is that Maryland has no statewide rent control, but rent stabilization is increasingly a local matter, and where it exists it is strong. In most of the state, there is no percentage limit on how much a landlord may raise the rent; the only statewide constraints are the written-notice rule and the bars on retaliation and discrimination. In a handful of high-cost jurisdictions, however, a local ordinance sets a firm annual cap that is far lower than the state default and that controls for covered units.
Three jurisdictions run active rent-stabilization programs. Montgomery County adopted permanent rent stabilization in 2023 under Bill 15-23. Prince George’s County enacted a Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act in 2024, replacing an earlier temporary cap. And Takoma Park has run a rent-stabilization program for decades, one of the longest-standing in the region. Each is covered in detail below.
Baltimore City does not cap rent increases
It is a common misconception that Baltimore City limits rent increases. As of 2026 it does not have a rent-control or rent-stabilization cap. Baltimore does have other tenant-protection ordinances, but none that ties an annual increase to a percentage the way Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Takoma Park do. In Baltimore, the statewide section 8-209 notice rule and the retaliation and fair-housing limits are what govern, not a local cap. Always confirm the current status of any local ordinance, because these programs change.
Takeaway
Maryland has no statewide rent cap, but Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Takoma Park run rent-stabilization programs that control for covered units. Baltimore City, despite the common assumption, does not cap increases. The first step is always to confirm the property’s exact jurisdiction and its current allowance.
Notice: How Many Days You Must Give
Even where no cap applies, an increase fails if you deliver it with the wrong notice. Maryland now has a statewide written-notice rule for rent increases in Maryland Code, Real Property, section 8-209, enacted as part of the state’s recent tenant-protection legislation. The required period turns on the length of the tenancy, and the statute also dictates how the notice must be delivered.
| Tenancy term | Minimum written notice | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| More than one month (includes month-to-month) | At least 90 days before the increase takes effect | The most common case for residential rentals |
| More than one week but not more than one month | At least 60 days before the increase takes effect | Shorter periodic tenancies |
| One week or less | At least 7 days with a written lease, or 21 days without one | Rare in most residential settings |
For the typical month-to-month tenancy, the operative number is 90 days — longer than the notice period in most other states, and a change from the shorter periods some Maryland landlords used before the statewide rule took effect. The notice must go out by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing, or by electronic means such as email, text message, or a tenant portal only when the tenant has affirmatively elected that method. A landlord cannot force electronic delivery on a tenant, and a notice posted on the door, left as a voicemail, or announced verbally does not satisfy the statute.
What a Proper Notice Contains and How to Serve It
A defensible rent-increase notice is in writing and states, at minimum: the tenant’s name and the property address, the current rent, the new rent, the effective date, and the landlord’s name and contact information. The effective date must fall at least the full statutory period after the notice is delivered, so on a month-to-month tenancy the earliest the new rent can start is the day after the 90-day window closes. Serve it by the statutory method, and keep a copy of both the notice and the certificate of mailing or proof of electronic delivery.
Local programs can require even more
Section 8-209 sets the statewide floor, not a ceiling. A rent-stabilized jurisdiction can layer on additional notice, registration, or format requirements. Montgomery County, for example, has its own procedures and form expectations for a covered increase. A notice that satisfies the state minimum can still fall short of a local rule, so where stabilization applies, check the county or city procedure as well as the statute.
Takeaway
Under Real Property section 8-209, give at least 90 days’ written notice for a tenancy longer than one month (including month-to-month), or 60 days for a shorter periodic tenancy. Deliver it by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing, or electronically only if the tenant elected that method, and keep proof.
When You Can Raise the Rent at All
The notice rule and any local cap only matter once you actually have the right to raise the rent. That right depends on the tenancy.
During a Fixed-Term Lease: Generally Locked
While a fixed-term lease is running, the rent is set at the agreed amount for the whole term. You cannot raise it mid-term unless the lease itself contains an explicit escalation clause that permits the change — and even then, the increase must still respect any local rent-stabilization cap. Absent that clause, the tenant is entitled to the agreed rent through the end of the term, and a tenant who keeps paying the original amount is in the right.
At Renewal or on a Periodic Tenancy
The two ordinary windows to raise rent are at lease renewal, when a new term begins, and during a periodic tenancy such as month-to-month, where a landlord may change the rent going forward by serving the proper section 8-209 notice. On a month-to-month, the increase takes effect only after the full 90-day notice period runs; the tenant can accept the new rent and stay, or give proper notice and move out.
A mid-term increase without authority is void
Trying to raise rent partway through a fixed-term lease with no escalation clause does not simply fail quietly — the increase is unenforceable, and a tenant who keeps paying the original rent is in the right. Do not treat a tenant’s silence as agreement. Wait for renewal, or convert to a lawful month-to-month process with a proper section 8-209 notice, before adjusting the rent.
Takeaway
You may raise rent at renewal or on a periodic tenancy with proper notice, but never mid-term on a fixed lease unless the lease expressly allows it. The tenancy type decides whether you even have the authority; the notice rule and any local cap decide how much and how.
Montgomery County Rent Stabilization
Montgomery County runs the most prominent rent-stabilization program in Maryland. The County Council adopted permanent rent stabilization in July 2023 under Bill 15-23, and it now limits how much rent may rise each year on covered units — a real cap, in a county where there had been none.
The CPI Plus 3 Percent Formula, Capped at 6 Percent
For a covered unit, the annual increase may not exceed the change in the Consumer Price Index for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area plus 3 percent, with an overall ceiling of 6 percent — whichever is lower. The county publishes the allowable figure each year. For the twelve months running July 2025 through June 2026, the allowance is about 5.7 percent, reflecting a regional CPI of roughly 2.7 percent plus the 3 percent factor. Because the CPI portion is recalculated annually, look up the current published allowance rather than reusing last year’s number.
Which units are covered
The Montgomery County cap generally applies to licensed residential rental units that are at least 23 years old. Newer housing is exempt: units in buildings first occupied on or after January 1, 2000 fall outside the cap, an exemption designed to avoid discouraging new construction. Other exemptions and special rules exist, including provisions for certain capital-improvement cost recovery, so confirm whether the specific unit is covered before setting an increase.
Takeaway
Montgomery County caps a covered increase at regional CPI plus 3 percent, never more than 6 percent, about 5.7 percent for July 2025 through June 2026. The cap generally reaches licensed units at least 23 years old, with newer buildings exempt. Pull the current published allowance and confirm coverage before you set a number.
Prince George’s County Rent Stabilization
Prince George’s County is the other large county with an active cap. After a temporary rent-stabilization act, the County enacted the Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024, which took effect in October 2024 and replaced the earlier emergency measure.
The Lesser of CPI Plus 3 Percent or 6 Percent
Under the permanent law, an annual increase on a covered unit is limited to the lesser of the regional Consumer Price Index plus 3 percent or 6 percent. Age-restricted senior housing is held to a lower figure — the lesser of CPI or 4.5 percent. The earlier temporary act had capped increases at a flat 3 percent, so a landlord relying on that older figure is working from an out-of-date number; the permanent framework is the one in force now. As with Montgomery County, the CPI portion is refreshed periodically, so verify the county’s current published allowance.
The old 3 percent figure is stale
Prince George’s County’s first rent-stabilization act was a temporary 3 percent cap that expired in 2024. It has been superseded by the Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024, which uses the lesser-of-CPI-plus-3-percent-or-6-percent formula. If you see a flat 3 percent cited for Prince George’s County, treat it as outdated and confirm the current permanent-law allowance before you rely on it.
Takeaway
Prince George’s County caps a covered increase at the lesser of regional CPI plus 3 percent or 6 percent under its Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024 (senior housing lower). The old flat 3 percent temporary cap is expired. Verify the current published allowance and the unit’s coverage before you raise the rent.
Takoma Park and Other Local Programs
Takoma Park, a city inside Montgomery County, has one of the oldest rent-stabilization programs in the state, predating the county-wide law by decades. Its allowance is tied to inflation and tends to be lower than the county figure.
Takoma Park’s CPI-Based Allowance
Takoma Park limits the annual increase on a covered unit to the change in the Consumer Price Index for the Washington and Baltimore region, measured on a set annual basis. For the year beginning July 1, 2025, the allowance is about 2.4 percent. The program generally covers multi-family rental units and rental condominiums, while single-family rentals, accessory apartments, and certain owner-occupied two-unit properties are exempt. Takoma Park also requires its own written notice — commonly framed as a two-month notice — and because the city sits within Montgomery County, a covered property may face both the city program and the county framework, so confirm which rules apply.
Watch for overlap and new programs
Rent stabilization in Maryland is expanding, and the map can change from year to year. A property in Takoma Park sits within Montgomery County; a property elsewhere may become newly covered as a jurisdiction adopts or amends a program. Do not assume that because a county-wide rule exists, no separate municipal rule applies, or that a jurisdiction without a cap today will still lack one next year. Verify the current local ordinance for the property’s exact address.
Takeaway
Takoma Park caps covered increases at regional CPI, about 2.4 percent for the year beginning July 1, 2025, on multi-family and condo units, with its own notice rule. Because it sits inside Montgomery County, a property can face both city and county programs. Rent stabilization is spreading, so re-verify the local map each year.
Retaliation and Fair Housing Limits
Two more limits apply even where no local cap does, and an increase that clears the notice rule can still be unlawful if it trips either one.
A Rent Increase Cannot Be Retaliatory
Maryland Code, Real Property, section 8-208.1 prohibits a landlord from arbitrarily raising the rent in retaliation for a tenant’s exercise of a protected right. Protected acts include a tenant’s good-faith written or actual complaint about a lease violation or a condition threatening health or safety, a report to a public agency, filing or testifying in a lawsuit against the landlord, and participating in a tenant organization. When an increase follows within six months of protected activity, it is presumptively retaliatory, and the burden shifts to the landlord to show a legitimate, non-retaliatory reason. A tenant who prevails can recover damages up to the equivalent of three months’ rent, plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs, and may raise retaliation as a defense to an eviction. The safest practice is to time increases to the ordinary schedule and to document the market and cost reasons behind the number.
It Cannot Discriminate or Target a Source of Income
A rent increase also cannot be used to discriminate against a protected class under the federal Fair Housing Act and Maryland’s fair-housing law — race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability, among others. Maryland further protects source of income statewide under the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act of 2020, which added source of income to the classes shielded by state fair-housing law. That protection covers lawful rental assistance such as a Housing Choice Voucher, so a landlord generally may not set or raise rent to push out, or refuse to accommodate, a tenant because they use a voucher. Maryland has begun enforcing this protection more actively, including monetary settlements against landlords who screened out voucher holders.
Consistency is your best defense
Increases applied evenly across comparable units on a regular schedule are far easier to defend than a one-off increase aimed at a single tenant. A selectively applied hike, or one that lands right after a complaint or repair request, invites both a retaliation presumption under section 8-208.1 and a fair-housing or source-of-income claim — even where no cap applies to the dollar figure.
Takeaway
An increase can still be unlawful if it is retaliatory under section 8-208.1 (presumed so within six months of protected activity, damages up to three months’ rent) or discriminatory, including targeting a lawful source of income like a voucher under the HOME Act. Apply increases consistently, on schedule, with a documented business reason.
Fair Housing and Source of Income in Maryland
The source-of-income piece deserves its own look, because it is a statewide protection that catches landlords who assume Maryland’s lack of a statewide cap leaves them free to price out subsidized tenants.
The HOME Act makes source-of-income discrimination unlawful across Maryland, not just in the counties that had adopted their own voucher protections earlier. In practical terms, a landlord generally cannot refuse to consider a Housing Choice Voucher, impose a minimum-income requirement that effectively excludes voucher holders, or raise the rent specifically to make a unit unaffordable to a tenant who relies on rental assistance. Because the protection is tied to the source of the tenant’s rent payment, a rent increase that is neutral on its face can still cross the line if it is aimed at forcing out a subsidized household.
The federal baseline still applies too
Independent of any state or local rule, the federal Fair Housing Act bars increases used to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, or disability. Maryland’s fair-housing law and the HOME Act sit on top of that federal floor. For a fuller walkthrough of the protected classes and how they constrain a landlord’s decisions, see our Fair Housing Act guide for landlords.
Takeaway
The HOME Act protects source of income statewide, so a landlord generally cannot use a rent increase or a minimum-income rule to push out a voucher holder. That sits on top of the federal Fair Housing Act baseline. Apply an even-handed, documented method and you stay clear of both.
The Maryland Landlord Playbook
Put the whole framework into a repeatable sequence and a rent increase becomes routine instead of risky. Follow these steps every time.
Confirm the jurisdiction and any local cap
Determine whether the property sits in Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Takoma Park, or another jurisdiction with rent stabilization. If it does, pull the current published allowance and confirm the unit is covered; if not, there is no percentage cap, only the notice and anti-retaliation rules.
Check timing and tenancy type
Confirm you have the right to raise rent now — at renewal or on a periodic tenancy, never mid-term without a lease clause — and confirm the increase is not landing within six months of protected tenant activity, which would make it presumptively retaliatory.
Size the increase within any cap
If a local program applies, keep the increase at or under its current allowance. If none does, set the number by an objective, even-handed method — market comparison, a fixed schedule, or a documented cost basis — and apply it consistently.
Serve the correct section 8-209 notice
Use at least 90 days’ written notice for a tenancy longer than one month, or 60 days for a shorter periodic tenancy, by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing (or electronically if the tenant elected it). State the current rent, new rent, effective date, and your contact information.
Document everything
Keep a copy of the notice, the certificate of mailing or proof of electronic delivery, the allowance figure you used, and a note of the market and cost reasons behind the increase. Consistent, documented increases are the ones that hold up.
Need the notice itself?
A ready-to-fill notice keeps the required fields in place. See our free Maryland rent increase notice form, and the Maryland lease agreement form if you need an escalation clause or a fresh renewal term. Always tailor the numbers to your unit and verify current law.
Common Scenarios, Quickly Answered
✓ Usually Defensible
- Renewal increase, no local cap. A 90-day written notice before a month-to-month raise in a jurisdiction with no rent stabilization, set by an even-handed method.
- Covered increase within the local allowance. A Montgomery County raise at or under about 5.7 percent for 2025 to 2026, served with the required notice.
- Market reset at turnover. Setting a new market rent for a new tenant after the prior one moves out, where no cap restricts the opening rent.
- Consistent annual adjustment. The same schedule applied across comparable units with documented comparables.
✕ Likely Unlawful
- Increase over a local cap. Any raise above the Montgomery, Prince George’s, or Takoma Park allowance on a covered unit.
- Mid-term hike, no clause. Raising rent during a fixed lease with no escalation clause.
- Post-complaint increase. A raise within six months of a repair request or code complaint — presumptively retaliatory under section 8-208.1.
- Short or verbal notice. A spoken or door-posted increase, or one served with fewer days than section 8-209 requires.
Rent Increases Go Smoother With the Right Tenant
The tenants who fight every lawful increase are often the ones who show red flags on screening. Comprehensive credit, income, and eviction-history reports catch the mismatch before you ever sign a lease.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can a landlord raise the rent in Maryland?
There is no statewide percentage cap on rent increases in Maryland, so in most of the state a landlord may raise the rent by any amount as long as the written-notice rules are followed and the increase is not retaliatory or discriminatory. The real limit usually comes from local rent stabilization. Montgomery County caps a covered increase at the change in the regional Consumer Price Index plus 3 percent, with a hard ceiling of 6 percent, and the allowance for July 2025 through June 2026 is about 5.7 percent. Prince George’s County limits a covered increase to the lesser of CPI plus 3 percent or 6 percent under its Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024, and Takoma Park ties its allowance to regional CPI (about 2.4 percent for the year beginning July 1, 2025). Always confirm the property’s jurisdiction and the current allowance before you set a number.
How much notice must a Maryland landlord give before raising rent?
Since the statewide notice rule in Maryland Code, Real Property, section 8-209 took effect, a landlord must give written notice before increasing rent. For a periodic tenancy longer than one month, including a month-to-month tenancy, the notice is at least 90 days before the increase takes effect. For a periodic tenancy of more than one week but not more than one month, it is at least 60 days. For a tenancy of one week or less it is at least 7 days with a written lease or 21 days without one. The notice must go out by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing, or electronically only if the tenant has elected that method. Some local programs, such as Montgomery County, layer additional rules on top, so verify the local requirement.
Is there rent control in Maryland?
There is no statewide rent control in Maryland, but rent stabilization is increasingly local and strong where it applies. Montgomery County adopted permanent rent stabilization in 2023 under Bill 15-23, Prince George’s County enacted a Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act in 2024, and Takoma Park has run a long-standing rent-stabilization program for decades. Baltimore City, by contrast, does not have a rent-control or rent-stabilization cap as of 2026, though it does have other tenant-protection ordinances. Where a local cap applies it is stricter than the state default and it controls, so the first step is always to check the property’s exact jurisdiction.
How much can rent increase in Montgomery County, Maryland?
Montgomery County’s rent-stabilization law limits the annual increase on a covered unit to the change in the Consumer Price Index for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area plus 3 percent, with an overall ceiling of 6 percent, whichever is lower. For the year running July 2025 through June 2026 the allowable increase is about 5.7 percent, based on a regional CPI of about 2.7 percent. The law generally applies to licensed rental units at least 23 years old, with exemptions including buildings first occupied on or after January 1, 2000. Confirm the current published allowance and whether the specific unit is covered before setting an increase, because the figure is recalculated every year.
How much can rent increase in Prince George’s County, Maryland?
Under the Prince George’s County Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024, which took effect in October 2024, an annual increase on a covered unit is limited to the lesser of the regional Consumer Price Index plus 3 percent or 6 percent. Age-restricted senior housing is held to a lower figure, the lesser of CPI or 4.5 percent. This permanent law replaced an earlier temporary cap of 3 percent that expired in 2024, so an older 3 percent figure is out of date. Verify the current published allowance and the unit’s coverage before you raise the rent.
Can a landlord raise the rent in the middle of a lease in Maryland?
Generally no. During a fixed-term lease the rent is locked at the agreed amount for the whole term unless the lease itself contains an escalation clause that expressly permits a mid-term increase. A Maryland landlord may raise rent at renewal, or during a periodic tenancy such as month-to-month, by serving the proper written notice under Real Property section 8-209 and staying within any local rent-stabilization cap that applies.
Does a Maryland rent increase have to be in writing?
Yes. Under Maryland Code, Real Property, section 8-209 a landlord must notify the tenant in writing before increasing rent, and the notice must run the full required period, generally 90 days for a tenancy longer than one month. The statute requires delivery by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing, or by electronic means such as email, text message, or a tenant portal only when the tenant has elected that method. A verbal announcement, a voicemail, or a note posted on the door does not satisfy the rule, and an improper notice does not start the clock.
Can a Maryland rent increase be illegal even if there is no cap?
Yes. Even where no local cap applies, a rent increase can be unlawful if it is retaliatory or discriminatory. Under Maryland Code, Real Property, section 8-208.1 a landlord may not arbitrarily raise the rent in retaliation for a tenant’s protected activity, such as a good-faith complaint about conditions, a report to a public agency, filing or testifying in a lawsuit, or participating in a tenant organization. An increase within six months of protected activity is presumptively retaliatory, and damages can reach up to three months’ rent plus attorney fees. Fair-housing and HOME Act limits apply on top of that.
Does Maryland protect tenants who use a housing voucher from a rent increase?
Maryland’s Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act, the HOME Act of 2020, added source of income to the classes protected by Maryland fair-housing law statewide. That means a landlord generally may not refuse to rent to, or set or raise rent to push out, a tenant because they pay part of the rent with a Housing Choice Voucher or other lawful rental assistance. Using a rent increase to sidestep a voucher can be source-of-income discrimination, which Maryland has begun enforcing more actively. This protection applies on top of the federal Fair Housing Act and any local rent cap.
Do local rent-stabilization programs override the lack of a state cap?
Where a Maryland county or municipality runs a rent-stabilization program, its cap controls for covered units even though the state itself sets no cap. Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Takoma Park all limit annual increases, and each uses its own formula, coverage rules, and procedures. If a property sits inside one of those jurisdictions, the local allowance is the real ceiling and the landlord must follow the local rules, not just the statewide notice statute. Coverage can turn on the building’s age and type, so confirm it for the exact address.
What is the safest way for a landlord to raise rent in Maryland?
Confirm the tenancy type and whether the property sits in a rent-stabilized jurisdiction, calculate the increase against any local cap using the current published allowance, serve a clear written notice for the full period section 8-209 requires by a provable method, avoid raising rent mid-term or right after protected tenant activity, apply increases consistently across comparable units, and keep a copy of the notice and proof of delivery. Documenting a legitimate, even-handed business reason turns a routine increase into one that holds up.
Screen Before You Set the Rent
Get comprehensive credit, income, and eviction reports on every applicant — place tenants who pay market rent without a fight, and keep your increases uncontested.
Related Maryland Guides and Resources
Published by Tenant Screening Background Check
Established 2004 · 20+ Years · All U.S. States & Territories · Statute-Based · Attorney-Reviewed
A Private Eye Reports™ service trusted by landlords, property managers, and attorneys.
