Hillandale CDP (part), Montgomery County, Maryland Rental Property Rules: Just Cause Eviction Rules (2026)

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.