Montgomery County, MD Rental Property Rules: Rent Increase Notice (2026)
Key Facts
- Notice period
- 90 days written notice
- Frequency cap
- one increase per 12 months
- Required content
- old rent, new rent, % increase, effective date
- Mail proof
- affidavit of mailing or signed receipt
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs
Summary
Landlords must give tenants 90 days' written notice before any rent increase and cannot raise rent more than once in a 12-month period.
A landlord must not increase the rent until 90 days after the landlord gives the tenant written notice of the increase. A landlord must not impose more than one rent increase on a tenant in any 12-month period. Each written rent increase notice must contain the following information: (1) The amount of monthly rent immediately preceding the effective date of the proposed increase (old rent), the amount of monthly rent proposed immediately after the rent increase takes effect (new rent), and the percentage increase of monthly rent.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-90: Montgomery County Code contains legislation effective through May 7, 2026 | Zoning Updated Effective: April 13, 2026 | COMCOR Regulations effective as of July 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Montgomery County Code § 29-54(a) bars a landlord from raising rent until 90 days after giving the tenant written notice, and caps increases at one per tenant per 12-month period. The notice must state the old rent, the new rent, the percentage increase, the effective date, the applicable voluntary rent guideline issued under § 29-53, and a statement that the tenant may ask the Department of Housing and Community Affairs to review an increase the tenant considers excessive. Under § 29-54(b), notice by ordinary mail isn't effective unless the landlord signs an affidavit certifying the mailing, or the landlord gets a signed receipt from the tenant.
Violations & Fines
Notice failing the 90-day timing, missing required content, or unproven mailing lets a tenant treat the increase as ineffective; the Department of Housing and Community Affairs handles complaints under Chapter 29.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice must my landlord give before raising rent in Montgomery County?
Can Montgomery County landlord raise my rent twice in one year?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
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