Maryland Standard Residential Lease Agreement

1. Agent/Landlord Identification – The name and contact details of the landlord or an authorized agent must be either included in the lease agreement or posted somewhere visible.^[1]

2. Lead-Based Paint Disclosure & EPA Pamphlet – If the property was built before 1978, then the tenant must be made aware of the possibility of the presence of lead-based paint.

3. Security Deposit Receipt – A landlord must provide a tenant with a receipt for their security deposit.^[2][3]

4. Move-in/Move-out Checklist – This is used to determine how much of the security deposit will be used to cover the cost of damages and repairs to the property and must be provided to the tenant before move-in.^[4]

5. Habitability – Landlords must commit in writing to keep the property habitable and must disclose both their and the tenant’s obligations pertaining to heat, gas, electricity, water, and repairs.^[5]

6. Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) Disclosure – Landlords must disclose the way in which billing for utilities is handled if the utilities are shared by multiple tenants.^[6]

Maximum Amount – Two months’ rent.^[7]

Returning – A security deposit must be returned within 45 days of a lease agreement’s termination.^[8]

Grace Period – None.^[9]

Maximum Late Fee – A fee for late rent can be up to 5% of the monthly rent.^[10]

NSF Fee – A landlord can charge up to $35 for a bounced check.^[11]