Baltimore County, MD Rental Property Rules: Rent Increase Notice (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies only during
- Declared eviction moratorium/health emergency
- Notice lead time
- 60 days before increase
- Post-emergency tail
- Rules extend 90 days after
- Renewal increase cap
- 3% during emergency period
- Notice method
- First Class mail plus door posting
- Covered landlords
- Own/manage 3+ rental units
- Enforcement hook
- Rental license conditioned on compliance
Summary
Baltimore County requires landlords of three or more rental units to give 60 days' written notice before any rent increase takes effect, but only during a declared eviction moratorium or public health emergency and for 90 days after it ends. The notice must go by First Class mail and be posted on the unit's door under County Code Article 35, Title 3.
(a)Restrictions. During an emergency and for a period of 90 days after the expiration of an emergency, a landlord may not charge, collect, or demand from a tenant an increase in rent until 60 days after the landlord gives the tenant written notice of the rent increase.(b)Posting and contents of notice. A written notice of rent increase required under this section must be mailed to the tenant by First Class mail and posted on the door of the dwelling unit and contain the following:(1)The amount of rent preceding the effective date of the proposed rent increase, the amount of rent proposed after the rent increase takes effect, and the percentage increase of the rent;(2)The effective date of the proposed rent increase; and(3)Any other information the landlord deems useful in explaining the rent increase.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29 | Zoning Regulations: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
Section 35-3-402 applies during an "emergency," defined in Section 35-3-401 as a national or statewide eviction moratorium lasting at least 30 days or the COVID-19 Catastrophic Health Emergency the Governor declared on March 5, 2020, and for 90 days after that emergency expires. During that window, a landlord who owns, manages, or leases at least three residential units cannot charge, collect, or demand an increased rent from a tenant until 60 days after giving written notice of the increase. The notice must be mailed by First Class mail and posted on the door of the dwelling unit, and it must state the current rent, the proposed new rent and the percentage increase, and the effective date of the change.
Section 35-3-403 caps how much that increase can be during the emergency window: no more than 3% at lease renewal for any tenant who was a party to the original lease, even if notice went out before the emergency began. The same section bars landlords from reporting rent delinquency to a credit bureau during the emergency period. Tenant fee protections run alongside the notice rule: Section 35-3-404 bars late fees, court fees, or payment processing fees during the emergency if the tenant shows the emergency affected their ability to pay.
Section 35-3-405(c) ties enforcement to licensing: before the Director of Permits, Approvals, and Inspections can issue a rental license under Article 35, Title 6, the applicant must receive a copy of these requirements and agree to them in writing.
Violations & Fines
The subtitle sets no separate fine for a missed notice. Instead, Section 35-3-405(c) makes compliance a gate to licensing: before the Director of Permits, Approvals, and Inspections issues a rental license, the applicant must receive a copy of these requirements and agree to them in writing. A tenant charged an increase without the required 60-day notice, or above the 3% renewal cap, can raise the shortfall as a defense against the higher rent, with the county's Code Enforcement powers backing ongoing noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Baltimore County require notice before every rent increase?
How much can my Baltimore County landlord raise my rent during a declared emergency?
What must a Baltimore County rent-increase notice include?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baltimore County
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