🇺🇸 Maryland tenant document
Landlord kept your deposit? Check the Maryland return rules, then challenge withheld funds with an organized written demand, your dates and amounts, an evidence plan, and official starting points in one downloadable pack.
Create My Free PreviewNo account required · Five-part PDF · $39 one-time purchase
Official framework
Maryland Code, Real Property §§ 8-203 and 8-203.1
Maryland generally requires the landlord, within 45 days after the tenancy ends, to return the security deposit with simple interest, less any damages rightfully withheld, and to send any list of damages with an itemized statement of costs and supporting documentation by first-class mail to the tenant’s last known address.
Read the official statute ↗Content reviewed October 1, 2026. General information only—not legal advice.
Maryland security deposit rules
Maryland generally requires a landlord to return the security deposit, with simple interest and less any damages rightfully withheld, within 45 days after the tenancy ends, and to send any list of damages with an itemized statement of costs and supporting documentation by first-class mail within the same 45 days. Since October 1, 2024, most deposits are capped at one month’s rent, and Real Property § 8-203 describes an action for up to three times the amount withheld without a reasonable basis, plus attorney’s fees, which a court decides.
Watch your own deadline: If you were evicted for breach of the lease or left before the tenancy ended, Real Property § 8-203(h) requires you to demand return of the deposit by written notice sent by first-class mail within 45 days of leaving, stating your new address. Send this letter by first-class mail within that period and keep proof of mailing; § 8-203(b)(4) also states that an action may be brought within 2 years after the tenancy ends.
Check coverage: Section 8-203 applies to residential leases but not to a seller staying in possession for up to 60 days after a sale, and mobile home park residents are covered by § 8A-1001. The one-month cap took effect October 1, 2024; the state’s Tenants’ Bill of Rights says up to two months’ rent is allowed for leases signed before then. Some local jurisdictions may add requirements.
These are general summaries, not conclusions about your situation. Review the linked official text and obtain legal advice when needed.
Deadline calculator · Normal wear and tear vs. damage · How to get your deposit back · Deadlines in other states
Maryland deposit dispute
These facts generate your demand letter, timing worksheet, dispute organizer, evidence log, and escalation-prep sheet.
No account required. Your draft is saved on this device.
Maryland generally requires the landlord, within 45 days after the tenancy ends, to return the security deposit with simple interest, less any damages rightfully withheld, and to send any list of damages with an itemized statement of costs and supporting documentation by first-class mail to the tenant’s last known address. Check the official statute for the conditions that apply to your tenancy.
No. The pack organizes a written demand and supporting record. The lease, facts, delivery, evidence, defenses, and any court decision control the result.
A personalized demand letter, timing worksheet, deduction dispute organizer, evidence and delivery log, and escalation-preparation sheet with official source links.
No. It identifies provisions to review and makes clear that potential enhanced remedies depend on facts and, if disputed, a court determination.
Yes. Complete the guided form to see a personalized preview. The finished five-part PDF costs $39 USD as a one-time purchase.