Baltimore County, MD Rental Property Rules: Just Cause Eviction (2026)

The protection sits inside the county's rent-escrow law, not a standalone eviction ordinance. A tenant asserts the case under § 35-4-201 by claiming a fire hazard or serious threat to life, health, or safety on the leased premises, such as a lack of heat, hot or cold water, light, electricity, adequate sewage disposal, or a rodent infestation. Before filing, the landlord or the landlord's agent must have been notified in writing, and the code presumes a delay of more than 30 days after that notice is unreasonable. The tenant then pays rent into a court-supervised escrow account while the case proceeds, and the District Court can order repairs, rent abatement, or release of the escrowed funds.

Once the court rules on the merits, § 35-4-201(k) bars the landlord from raising rent, evicting the tenant, or cutting any legally required service for six months, unless the court finds either that the tenant's complaint was not brought in good faith or that the landlord has proven good cause under subsection (l). Good cause is limited to five grounds: tenant-caused damage beyond normal wear and tear, the landlord's good-faith need to move into the unit personally, a signed contract to sell the property for the buyer's personal occupancy, a substantial increase in taxes or operating costs unrelated to the complaint, or a completed substantial capital improvement. After the six-month window closes, the burden flips and the tenant must prove any rent increase or eviction was not for good cause. Subsection (m) extends this same six-month bar to a tenant who, in good faith, reports a potential code violation to any state or county agency, even outside a formal escrow filing. A lease clause that tries to waive these protections is void under subsection (o).