Free Maryland Room Rental Agreement Template

A Maryland room rental agreement is the written contract for renting one bedroom in a shared home. Maryland’s security deposit rules sit in Section 8-203 of the Real Property Article, and they define a deposit broadly.

A security deposit means any payment of money, including last month’s rent paid in advance, given to protect the landlord against unpaid rent, damage from a breach of the lease, or damage to the leased premises, common areas, major appliances, and furnishings. In a shared house, that reference to common areas and furnishings is doing real work.

One month’s rent, per dwelling unit, regardless of the number of tenants. That last phrase is the one that matters in a shared house: the cap attaches to the unit, not to each person renting a room in it.

There is a narrow exception allowing up to two months’ rent, and all three of its conditions must be met. The tenant must be eligible and qualified for utility assistance through the Department of Human Services, the lease must require the tenant to pay for utility services directly to the landlord, and the two sides must agree in writing on the deposit amount.

A landlord who charges over the cap can be ordered to pay up to three times the extra amount, plus reasonable attorney’s fees. An action can be brought at any time during the tenancy or within two years after it ends.

A Maryland room rental agreement carries several duties that begin the day money changes hands.

The Receipt Goes Inside the Lease

The landlord must give the tenant a receipt for the deposit, and the receipt has to be included in the written lease itself rather than handed over separately.

Where the Money Sits

Deposits must be held in federally insured financial institutions doing business in Maryland, in branches located within the state, in accounts devoted exclusively to security deposits and bearing interest. The deposit has to reach that account within 30 days of the landlord receiving it. Deposits cannot be attached by creditors of either the landlord or the tenant.

The Move-Out Inspection Is the Tenant’s Right

A tenant who notifies the landlord by certified mail of an intention to move, the date of moving, and a new address may be present when the premises are inspected for damage. That notice has to be mailed at least 15 days before the moving date. The landlord must then notify the tenant by certified mail of the inspection’s time and date, which must fall within five days before or after the moving date. The tenant must be told about this right in writing when the deposit is paid, and a landlord who fails to comply forfeits the right to withhold any part of the deposit for damages.

Tip: No provision of Section 8-203 may be waived in any lease. A clause in the agreement that tries to sign away one of these rules has no effect.

Within 45 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord must return the deposit with simple interest, less any damages rightfully withheld. Interest runs at the daily US Treasury yield curve rate for one year, as of the first business day of each year, or 1.5% a year, whichever is greater. It accrues monthly, is not compounded, is payable only on deposits of $50 or more, and is not due unless the deposit was held at least six months.

Where any portion is withheld, the landlord must mail to the tenant’s last known address, within those same 45 days, a written list of the damages claimed together with an itemized statement of the cost incurred. That statement has to include supporting documentation identifying the materials or services provided, though an estimate may be used.

Using an estimate brings a follow-up duty. The landlord must tell the tenant in writing when the repairs are finished, include a copy of the final invoice, and if the actual cost came in under the estimate, return the excess within 30 days of completing the work.

Missing the list forfeits the right to withhold anything for damages. Failing without a reasonable basis to return the deposit and interest within 45 days exposes the landlord to an action for up to threefold the withheld amount plus reasonable attorney’s fees. Figures and deadlines are statutory and can change, so confirm the current text before relying on one.

For a Maryland room rental agreement, the clauses that earn their place are:

• The deposit receipt language, since it belongs in the lease document
• The deposit amount, set against the per-unit cap rather than per person
• A note of the tenant’s inspection rights and the certified-mail deadline
• Which room is private and which areas, appliances, and furnishings are shared
• How utilities are divided between housemates