Maryland Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Maryland's security deposit statute (Md. Real Property § 8-203), the 45-day return deadline, and the treble-damages penalty for withholding without a reasonable basis. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
45 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
up to 3×
for withholding without a reasonable basis, plus fees
Statute
§ 8-203
Md. Code, Real Property
Under Md. Real Property § 8-203, your landlord has 45 days after your tenancy ends to return your security deposit, with any accrued interest, along with a written, itemized list of any deductions.
If the landlord withholds your deposit without a reasonable basis, you may recover:
So a $1,500 deposit wrongfully withheld can support a court judgment of up to $4,500 plus fees. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Deposit cap (updated): For leases signed on or after October 1, 2024, Maryland caps deposits at one month’s rent (down from two months). Leases signed before that date remain subject to the two-month maximum, and where the tenant uses a utility- or housing-assistance program the cap can be up to two months’ rent. Charging more than the applicable cap exposes the landlord to up to threefold the excess plus fees.
Interest: Deposits must earn simple interest at the greater of the daily U.S. Treasury one-year yield curve rate or 1.5% per year, accruing monthly, for deposits of $50 or more held at least six months. (Older sources citing a flat 3% figure are stale.)
If you were evicted or abandoned the unit: Under § 8-203(h), the ordinary return rules do not apply to a tenant who was evicted or abandoned the premises. In that situation you must send the landlord a written demand for the deposit within 45 days — which this letter can serve as — and the landlord’s obligations then run from your demand.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Maryland's deadlines under § 8-203.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under § 8-203, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Maryland law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Some cities layer their own security deposit rules on top of state law — and some don't. Here's where Maryland's major cities stand.
BaltimoreState law applies
No separate Baltimore deposit ordinance — Maryland state law applies: 45-day return, up to treble damages plus fees for withholding without a reasonable basis.
45 days after you move out.
A landlord who, without a reasonable basis, fails to return the deposit within 45 days is liable for up to threefold (3×) the withheld amount plus reasonable attorney fees under § 8-203(e)(4). Failure to send the damage list forfeits the right to withhold for damages.
Md. Code, Real Property § 8-203. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Baltimore has no separate deposit ordinance — Maryland state law applies.
Sources & verification
The Maryland rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Maryland statutes that apply to your situation.
Md. Real Property § 8-203 and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Maryland landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39