Maryland landlord repair laws

What your landlord is required to fix, how long they have once you put it in writing, and what Marylandlaw lets you do if they don't.

What your landlord must maintain

Under Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211, a landlord must repair conditions that constitute a serious and substantial threat to life, health or safety — including lack of heat, light, electricity or running water, lack of adequate sewage disposal, rodent infestation in two or more units, structural defects, and conditions presenting a health or fire hazard.

Conditions the statute covers

• ✓No working heat
• ✓No running water
• ✓No hot water
• ✓Electrical system not working or unsafe
• ✓Sewage backup or unsanitary conditions
• ✓Unsafe floors, stairs, railings, ceiling, or roof
• ✓Rodent or insect infestation
• ✓Building or housing code violation

What you can do about it

Once written notice has been given and the statutory period has passed, you may bring an action of rent escrow to pay rent into court because of these conditions, and raise these conditions as an affirmative defense to any action for rent or possession, under § 8-211(h) — in which, under § 8-211(m), the court may terminate the lease, abate rent, or order the escrowed funds applied to repairs.

Maryland has no repair-and-deduct remedy. Paying for a repair and subtracting the cost from your rent is not authorized here, and doing it anyway can put your tenancy at risk. Use the remedies the statute actually provides.

Retaliation is illegal

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1 protects a tenant who gave written or actual notice of a good-faith complaint about a condition on the leased premises, looking back six months, and permits damages not to exceed three months' rent, reasonable attorney fees and court costs.

Limits and exceptions

Maryland provides no repair-and-deduct remedy, so this letter does not claim one. CRITICAL: under § 8-211(k) all relief is conditioned on the tenant paying the rent required by the lease INTO COURT — rent may not simply be withheld outside a filed escrow action, and a tenant who stops paying without filing and depositing can lose possession. Relief is also denied where the tenant caused the condition or denied the landlord reasonable entry. Section 8-211(e) excludes minor defects and nondangerous code violations, and treats the absence of air conditioning and cosmetic damage as presumptively outside the section. Section 8-211 does not apply to farm tenancies.

Common questions

How long does a landlord have to make repairs in Maryland?

Under Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211(g)(3), you have a reasonable time after receipt of this notice to make the repairs, and there is a rebuttable presumption that a period in excess of 30 days from receipt is unreasonable. That clock starts when your landlord receives written notice — which is why how you send it matters.

Can I withhold rent or repair it myself in Maryland?

Maryland does not provide a repair-and-deduct remedy — paying for a repair and subtracting it from rent is not something the statute allows here, and doing it can put your tenancy at risk. Your remedies are bring an action of rent escrow to pay rent into court because of these conditions, and raise these conditions as an affirmative defense to any action for rent or possession, under § 8-211(h) — in which, under § 8-211(m), the court may terminate the lease, abate rent, or order the escrowed funds applied to repairs.

Can my landlord retaliate if I ask for repairs in Maryland?

Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-208.1 protects a tenant who gave written or actual notice of a good-faith complaint about a condition on the leased premises, looking back six months, and permits damages not to exceed three months' rent, reasonable attorney fees and court costs.

Do I have to put a repair request in writing in Maryland?

Yes — and it is the single most important step. Under Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-211, the landlord's obligations and your remedies run from written notice. A text message or a phone call generally leaves you arguing about whether and when your landlord was told.

Verified against Maryland's published statute text on August 11, 2026 — read the statute yourself. General information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm.