Harford County, MD Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)

The Minimum Livability Code channels tenant complaints through the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits Code Official rather than through the courts directly. Section 162-5B directs the Code Official to issue all notices and orders necessary to secure compliance with the code, and § 162-5D authorizes entry into a structure or premises at reasonable times, after prior notice to the owner and tenant, to make inspections, including situations where there is an imminent threat to health and safety. When an inspection substantiates a complaint, § 162-8B lets the Code Official issue a notice of violation identifying the corrective measures required and the deadline for completing them, and a citation under Harford County Code § 1-23 can follow if the owner does not comply.

1 of the Real Property Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. A property owner cannot be cited for a Livability Code violation caused by a tenant's own negligent, wrongful or malicious acts, under § 162-15B, unless the owner's own conduct contributed to it, and the Code Official can cite the tenant directly for violations within the tenant's control under § 162-15C.