Maryland Landlord Entry Rules and Tenant Privacy

Maryland landlords must give tenants written notice at least 24 hours before entering a rental, or longer when local law requires, stating the date, approximate time, and specific purpose of the visit. Entry is allowed only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, unless the tenant agrees in writing to another time. These rules come from Maryland Real Property section 8-221, a statewide law that took effect October 1, 2025. The only exception to notice is an emergency.

Section 8-221 was added by Chapter 564 of 2025 (HB 1076). Lease forms and guides written before then that say only "reasonable notice" or leave the hours open no longer match the law.

When can a Maryland landlord enter?

Section 8-221 lists six reasons you, or someone working for you, may enter a leased unit:

1. Repairs, maintenance, modifications, renovations, or improvements.
2. Inspecting the unit.
3. Showing the unit to prospective or actual buyers, mortgage lenders, tenants, or contractors.
4. Protecting the safety of the property and the people in it.
5. Completing work a government agency ordered.
6. Responding, when appropriate, to another written request from the tenant.

Every one of these entries, except an emergency, needs the statewide 24-hour notice and must fall within the allowed hours. A routine inspection, a contractor's estimate, and a showing to a buyer are all covered by the same state notice rule. Local rules can require more notice: Takoma Park ordinarily requires 48 hours' written notice under its entry ordinance, and Montgomery County requires landlords to notify affected tenants at least 72 hours before county inspections scheduled under section 29-22(a).

What the notice must say and how to deliver it

The notice has to be in writing and must state:

• The date you plan to enter.
• The approximate time.
• The specific purpose, such as "replace the kitchen faucet" rather than "maintenance."

You can deliver it in one of three ways:

Mail is the riskiest choice. The statute measures the 24 hours from the time of entry, and a letter mailed the day before may not arrive in time. If you want to use email or text, get the tenant's written election in the lease or a separate form, and keep the sent message as your record.

Shorter notice or other hours. Under state law, the tenant can agree in writing to entry on less than 24 hours' notice, or to a time outside 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or on a Sunday. A text reply such as "Yes, 8 p.m. Tuesday works" for a specific visit gives you a written record. The statute does not say whether a general lease clause counts as that agreement, so get written consent for each visit.

Emergency entry without notice

You can enter without notice in an emergency when entry is needed to protect the property, the safety of the occupants, or the health and safety of other tenants and staff. A burst pipe flooding the unit below, a gas smell, or smoke coming from the unit qualify. A leaking faucet or a tenant who is late with rent does not. The hour limits also do not apply to an emergency.

After an emergency entry, tell the tenant in writing what happened and what you did. Using "emergency" as a label for routine work is a violation of the statute. For more on what counts, see whether you can enter your rental in an emergency.

Repair complaints and the tenant's 24-hour access duty

If a tenant reports a housing code violation, the tenant must give you access within 24 hours after notifying you. You still owe the written notice before you enter, and the tenant can agree in writing to a shorter window so you can respond the same day.

Access matters in rent escrow cases. A tenant who reports a serious defect can ask the District Court to let them pay rent into court until it is fixed, and the law presumes, unless you show otherwise, that taking more than 30 days after notice to repair is unreasonable. You have a defense under section 8-211 if you or your agents were denied reasonable and appropriate entry to make the repairs. Keep the notice, the tenant's reply, and any refusal in writing. The Maryland repair obligations guide covers rent escrow in more detail.

A 2026 bill, SB 635, would have let landlords skip notice when completing repairs the tenant asked for in writing. It did not pass, so tenant-requested repairs still need the applicable state or local notice unless the tenant agrees in writing to less.

What happens if a landlord enters improperly?

A tenant can sue if you entered in violation of section 8-221 or made repeated demands for entry that did not follow it. The court can order you to stop (an injunction), award damages for breach of the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment, or both. Quiet enjoyment is the tenant's right to use the home without the landlord's interference; see what quiet enjoyment requires of landlords.

You are liable for violations by your agents when they act at your direction. That includes a property manager, a maintenance worker, or a contractor you send. Give anyone who enters a copy of the notice and the time window, and tell them not to enter outside it.

The statute sets no fixed dollar penalty; the court assesses appropriate damages based on the facts of the case.

What if the tenant refuses lawful entry?

Apart from the 24-hour duty after a housing code complaint, section 8-221 sets no penalty for a tenant who refuses a properly noticed entry. The refusal may still break the lease if the lease requires access. Your options, in order:

1. Offer another time. Propose two or three windows within the allowed hours and send a new written notice that meets state and local timing requirements for the one the tenant picks.
2. Document each refusal. Save the notices, the tenant's replies, and dates you were turned away.
3. Check the lease before seeking eviction. Under section 8-402.1, the unexpired lease must authorize repossession before its term ends for a breach; an access requirement alone is not enough. If the refusal breaches the lease, give 30 days' written notice stating the violation and that you want to repossess the unit. You may file only if the tenant continues to refuse to comply after that notice period, and the court must find the breach substantial enough to warrant eviction. See the Maryland eviction process before filing.

Do not change the locks or remove the door. A refusal does not create an emergency; any entry must still comply with section 8-221 and applicable local rules.