In Maryland, a landlord can raise the rent by any amount when your lease comes up for renewal, because the state sets no cap on rent increases and does not tie them to inflation.1Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Tenant Bill of Rights (Effective October 1, 2025) – Version 2 The real limits are procedural and situational: the landlord has to give you proper written notice, the increase cannot land in the middle of a fixed-term lease, and it cannot be tied to discrimination or retaliation. A handful of local jurisdictions add hard percentage caps on top of that.
Where Local Caps Apply
If you rent in Montgomery County or Takoma Park, a specific percentage limit may govern your increase. Everywhere else in Maryland, the market sets the ceiling.
Montgomery County
Montgomery County’s rent stabilization law caps annual increases at the lesser of CPI-U plus 3% or 6%.2Maryland General Assembly. Bill No. 15-23 Concerning Landlord-Tenant Relations – Rent Stabilization The allowable rate resets each July 1. For July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the maximum is 5.7%. Starting July 1, 2026, it drops to 5.2%.3Montgomery County, MD. Increases and Limits – RS
Not every unit is covered. The law exempts units that have been offered for rent for fewer than 23 years (a rolling window), owner-occupied duplexes, landlords who own two or fewer rental units in the county if they are a natural person or estate, school dormitories, licensed assisted-living facilities, and government-subsidized units that already carry rent restrictions.2Maryland General Assembly. Bill No. 15-23 Concerning Landlord-Tenant Relations – Rent Stabilization
Takoma Park
Takoma Park ties its annual increase allowance to the CPI for the Washington-Baltimore region. From July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the maximum is 2.4%, and the city publishes the next year’s rate before each July 1. The rule covers multi-family rental buildings and individual condominium units. It does not apply to single-family houses, accessory apartments, or duplexes where one unit is the owner’s primary residence.4Takoma Park, MD. Rent Stabilization (Rent Increase Allowance)
Mobile Home Parks
Statewide protections under Title 8A of the Maryland Real Property Code kick in when a manufactured housing community changes hands. The new owner must file an affidavit committing to keep the property operating as a mobile home park for at least five years and to limit lot rent increases to no more than 10% per year for the first three years. If the buyer will not file that affidavit, the residents must first be given the opportunity to purchase the community themselves.
Notice Your Landlord Must Give
An increase without adequate written notice is not valid, no matter what the new rent is. Maryland’s required lead time depends on your tenancy type:
- Year-to-year tenancy: 90 days.
- Month-to-month tenancy, or a written lease with a term longer than one week: 60 days.
- Oral week-to-week tenancy: 21 days.
- Written week-to-week tenancy: 7 days.
Most standard one-year leases roll over into a year-to-year or month-to-month arrangement after the initial term, which is why the Maryland Tenant Bill of Rights describes 90 days as the typical notice period.1Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Tenant Bill of Rights (Effective October 1, 2025) – Version 2
The notice has to be sent by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing. Email, text, or an electronic tenant portal is only valid if you have affirmatively opted in to receive notices that way. A landlord cannot make electronic delivery a condition of signing the lease.5Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Real Property 8-209
Increases That Are Illegal Regardless of Amount
Some rent increases are unlawful even when they fall within the notice rules and any applicable cap.
Mid-Lease Increases
Your landlord cannot raise the rent during a fixed-term lease unless the lease itself contains a specific provision allowing it. A one-year lease locks in your rent for twelve months. Without that language in the original agreement, a mid-term increase is a unilateral change and does not bind you.1Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. Tenant Bill of Rights (Effective October 1, 2025) – Version 2
Discriminatory Increases
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability.6U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act Maryland law adds protections for marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, and military status.7Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. Housing A rent increase aimed at pushing out a tenant on any of these grounds is illegal, whatever the dollar amount.
Retaliatory Increases
Maryland law bars retaliatory rent increases, eviction threats, and service reductions when a tenant has done any of the following:
- Filed a good-faith complaint about health or safety conditions with the landlord or a public agency.
- Sued the landlord or participated in a lawsuit involving the landlord.
- Joined or participated in a tenants’ organization.
- Called law enforcement or emergency services to the property.
If your landlord raises the rent within six months of any of these actions, the law presumes the increase is retaliatory.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Real Property 8-208.1 – Retaliatory Actions Due to Reporting Violations or Complaints Prohibited After six months, the presumption falls away and you would need to prove retaliatory intent on your own.
If You Think an Increase Is Unlawful
For a retaliatory increase, you can raise the issue as a defense in an eviction proceeding or bring an affirmative claim. A court finding retaliation can award up to three months’ rent in damages, plus reasonable attorney fees and court costs.8Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Real Property 8-208.1 – Retaliatory Actions Due to Reporting Violations or Complaints Prohibited You must be current on rent at the time of the alleged retaliation for these protections to apply.
Discrimination complaints go to the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights or to HUD. The Maryland Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division runs a mediation unit that handles landlord-tenant disputes and can be reached at 410-528-8662.
Even when an increase is legal, you have room to negotiate. Pull comparable listings in your area so you know whether the proposed rent matches the local market. A landlord who sees you have done the research, and who values a reliable tenant, often has reason to come down. Turnover costs money in vacancy and unit prep, and that gives you leverage the statute does not.