Maryland deposit law, in plain English.

What your landlord has to do with your deposit after you move out. Each rule links to the official text.

• 45 days.

  If they keep any of your deposit, your landlord has 45 days after your tenancy ends to mail you a written list of the damages with an itemized statement of costs.

  § 8-203(g)(1)

• Miss it, lose it.

  If they don't send that list, they lose the right to keep any of it for damage.

  § 8-203(g)(2)

• Off limits.

  Ordinary wear and tear.

  § 8-203(f)(1)

• Up to three times.

  Keeping it without a reasonable basis can cost them up to three times what they kept, plus lawyer's fees.

  § 8-203

Not covered here yet: Montgomery County and Baltimore City rentals

Checked against the official text on October 19, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Cities can add their own rules.