Showing ordinances that apply to Derwood, MD
Derwood is an unincorporated community (population 2,535) in Montgomery County, Maryland. Because Derwood is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Montgomery County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The just cause eviction rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Retaliatory evictions prohibited under Maryland RP 8-208.1. Month-to-month tenancies require 60 days notice to terminate. Self-help evictions are illegal.
Montgomery County Code Chapter 29 and Maryland Real Property Article 8-208.1 prohibit retaliatory evictions. A landlord may not evict or threaten to evict a tenant in retaliation for complaining to a government agency about housing code violations, organizing or joining a tenants association, or exercising any legal right. Valid grounds for eviction include nonpayment of rent, material lease violation, end of lease term with proper notice, owner or immediate family member intent to occupy, substantial renovation requiring vacancy, and condemnation or government order. For nonpayment, Maryland requires a landlord to file a Failure to Pay Rent action in District Court. The tenant has until the court date to pay the full amount owed and avoid eviction. For holdover tenants (lease expiration), landlords must provide at least 60 days written notice in Montgomery County for month-to-month tenancies (versus 30 days under state law) per county bill enacted in 2021. Self-help evictions (changing locks, shutting off utilities) are illegal under Maryland law.
Retaliatory eviction is a defense in court and may entitle the tenant to damages. Self-help eviction is a criminal offense. Landlords found to have illegally evicted tenants may owe actual damages plus attorney fees.
See how Derwood's just cause eviction rules stack up against other locations.
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