Maryland Rental Fee Rules
Maryland rules on rental fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-23.
Short answer: There is no dollar cap. If any non-deposit fee charged to an applicant exceeds $25, the landlord must return it within 15 days after move-in or after either party says in writing that no tenancy will occur. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-213
The rules in Maryland
| Application / screening fees | There is no dollar cap. If any non-deposit fee charged to an applicant exceeds $25, the landlord must return it within 15 days after move-in or after either party says in writing that no tenancy will occur. The landlord may keep only the amount actually spent on a credit check or other application expenses. Penalty for not returning it: twice the fee. The application must explain the tenant's liabilities and these rules. Does not apply to landlords offering 4 or fewer units on one parcel or location, or to seasonal or condominium rentals. No portable-screening-report statute was found. Source: Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-213 |
|---|---|
| Other rental fees | Move-in cap: a lease may not require more than the security deposit plus the first month's rent to start the lease and move in. Late fees are capped at 5% of the unpaid rent (weekly leases: $3 a week, $12 a month). A lease may not make the tenant pay the District Court filing surcharge assessed against the landlord, except as § 7-301(c)(5)(ii) of the Courts Article allows. The landlord may charge no more than $5 for the 6-day eviction notice. The lease must include the Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights. No general statewide ban on convenience or online-payment fees and no total-cost-of-rent disclosure statute was found. |
Related questions
- How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee?
- What rental fees are illegal (junk fees)?
Maryland vs. neighboring states
| State | Application / screening fees | Other rental fees |
|---|---|---|
| Maryland | There is no dollar cap. If any non-deposit fee charged to an applicant exceeds $25, the landlord must return it within 15 days after move-in or after either party says in writing that no tenancy will occur. The landlord may keep only the amount actually spent on a credit check or other application expenses. Penalty for not returning it: twice the fee. The application must explain the tenant's liabilities and these rules. Does not apply to landlords offering 4 or fewer units on one parcel or location, or to seasonal or condominium rentals. Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-213 | Move-in cap: a lease may not require more than the security deposit plus the first month's rent to start the lease and move in. Late fees are capped at 5% of the unpaid rent (weekly leases: $3 a week, $12 a month). A lease may not make the tenant pay the District Court filing surcharge assessed against the landlord, except as § 7-301(c)(5)(ii) of the Courts Article allows. The landlord may charge no more than $5 for the 6-day eviction notice. The lease must include the Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights. Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-208(c)(4), 8-208(d)(3), (11), (13); 8-407(b)(3) |
| Delaware | Capped at the greater of 10% of the monthly rent or $50. Landlord must give a receipt for the full amount and keep application-fee records for at least 2 years; demanding more than allowed entitles the applicant to double the fee charged. Credit/investigation charges may not exceed the specific cost of the investigation, and no other 'assurance money' may be taken from an applicant (other than a deposit reserving the unit for a set time). Application records must be kept 6 months; the AG Consumer Protection Unit enforces. 25 Del. C. §§ 5514(d), 5310 | A landlord may not charge any nonrefundable fee as a condition of occupancy, except optional fees for actual services (e.g., pool or tennis court fee). Late charges are capped at 5% of monthly rent and cannot be imposed until rent is more than 5 days late; if the landlord has no in-county office for payment, the due date is extended 3 days. Cash rent payments require a receipt within 15 days. 25 Del. C. §§ 5311, 5501(d)-(e) |
| Pennsylvania | No statute - Pennsylvania has no statewide cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees. Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, 68 P.S. 250.101 et seq. | No statewide statute limiting move-in, convenience or other rental fees in the Landlord and Tenant Act. 68 P.S. 250.101 et seq. |
| Virginia | Nonrefundable application fee capped at $50 ($32 for public housing or other HUD-regulated units), plus actual out-of-pocket third-party screening costs. A refundable application deposit may also be required; if the applicant does not rent, the excess over actual expenses must be refunded with an itemized list within 20 days (10 days if paid by cash or certified funds and the landlord rejected the application). Landlords must consider evidence that an applicant is a family-abuse victim to mitigate a low credit score. Starting July 1, 2027, before collecting any payment or information the landlord must disclose in writing or by posting the fees and whether refundable, selection criteria, automatic-denial criteria, the consumer reporting agency used, and the applicant's right to a free report copy and to dispute it. Va. Code § 55.1-1203 | Fee disclosure: beginning on the first page of the written lease, the landlord must itemize all charges that make up the security deposit, the rent due per payment period, and any one-time charges due before the start date or included in the first payment, under the statutory statement that no additional security deposits or rent may be charged unless listed or added by later addendum. Va. Code § 55.1-1204.1 |
| West Virginia | No cap. An application fee (money paid to be considered as a tenant) is not a security deposit only if the parties expressly agree in writing that it is nonrefundable; otherwise it is treated under the security-deposit rules. W. Va. Code § 37-6A-1(2), (14) | No general junk-fee statute. Pet fees and application fees are excluded from the security deposit only if expressly agreed in writing to be nonrefundable. Deposits may cover late charges only if specified in the rental agreement and reasonable. W. Va. Code § 37-6A-1(14); § 37-6A-2(b)(1) |
| District of Columbia | Capped at $50, which the housing provider may adjust annually by CPI since Jan. 1, 2024. Only one application fee for applications to multiple units of the same provider within 30 days (unless more than one screening is required). No fee other than the application fee may be charged before lease signing, and no holding deposit from voucher holders. Unused fees must be refunded within 14 days if no screening is done. Before collecting any fee the provider must disclose, in writing or posting, each fee and whether refundable, screening criteria, the response time, and dispute rights; denials require a written adverse-action notice. D.C. Code § 42-3505.10(a)-(c), (f) | A housing provider may not charge fees before move-in, during the tenancy, or after move-out for services it must provide to keep the unit habitable and code-compliant, including fees for utilities, trash, locks, or administrative fees for third-party billing. From Jan. 1, 2027, utility charges for common areas or vacant units may not be billed separately (only through rent; RUBS allocation still allowed). Late fees: max 5% of rent, only if disclosed in the written lease and rent is more than 5 days late; charged once per late payment, no interest, and never grounds for eviction. D.C. Code §§ 42-3505.10(b)(3), (b-2); 42-3505.11; 42-3505.31 |
City rules that may add to state law
More Maryland rental law
- Maryland Security Deposit Law
- Maryland Eviction Laws
- Maryland Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Maryland
- Maryland Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Maryland Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Maryland
- Squatters' Rights in Maryland
- Maryland Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Maryland Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Maryland Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Maryland Landlord Selling the House
- Maryland Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Maryland Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Maryland landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Maryland
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Maryland Rental Fee Rules FAQ
Is there a limit on rental application fees in Maryland?
There is no dollar cap. If any non-deposit fee charged to an applicant exceeds $25, the landlord must return it within 15 days after move-in or after either party says in writing that no tenancy will occur. The landlord may keep only the amount actually spent on a credit check or other application expenses. Penalty for not returning it: twice the fee. The application must explain the tenant's liabilities and these rules. Does not apply to landlords offering 4 or fewer units on one parcel or location, or to seasonal or condominium rentals. (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-213)
What rental fees are banned or limited in Maryland?
Move-in cap: a lease may not require more than the security deposit plus the first month's rent to start the lease and move in. Late fees are capped at 5% of the unpaid rent (weekly leases: $3 a week, $12 a month). A lease may not make the tenant pay the District Court filing surcharge assessed against the landlord, except as § 7-301(c)(5)(ii) of the Courts Article allows. The landlord may charge no more than $5 for the 6-day eviction notice. The lease must include the Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights. (Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-208(c)(4), 8-208(d)(3), (11), (13); 8-407(b)(3))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.