Yes, a Maryland landlord can raise rent, but there’s no statewide cap, so the limits depend on where the home is. Statewide, you need to give written notice at least 90 days ahead for most leases. Montgomery County caps increases on older rental units at 5.2% for July 2026 through June 2027, and Prince George’s County caps many units at 5.7% for the same period, with exemptions in both.
The mistakes here are easy to make: a notice that goes out late, or by text when it should have gone by mail. We send renewal notices for the homes we manage at SW Property Management. Here are the rules as of October 2026.
Statewide: no cap, but a notice rule
Maryland has no statewide limit on how much rent can go up. What it does have is a notice requirement. Real Property § 8-209 says a landlord must notify the tenant in writing before raising rent, on this schedule:
| Lease or tenancy term | Minimum written notice |
|---|---|
| More than 1 month (a 12-month lease, for example) | 90 days before the increase |
| More than 1 week, up to 1 month (month-to-month) | 60 days |
| 1 week or less | 7 days with a written lease, 21 days without |
The notice goes by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing. If the tenant has chosen electronic delivery, it can go by email, text or tenant portal, with proof it was sent. A landlord can’t make electronic notice a condition of accepting an application, and under § 8-208(d)(9) a lease can’t require it. Section 8-209 also says local laws that require more notice still apply.
Two more statewide limits: a landlord can’t raise rent to retaliate against a tenant for complaining, going to court or an agency, or joining a tenants’ group, as the Maryland Attorney General summarizes. And during a fixed-term lease, the rent is whatever the lease says unless the lease itself allows a change.
Montgomery County: 5.2% from July 1, 2026
Montgomery County’s rent stabilization law sets a yearly cap equal to CPI-U plus 3%, or a flat 6%, whichever is lower. For increases taking effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the CPI-U is 2.2%, so the cap is 5.2%, according to the county’s rent stabilization increases page.
Which units are covered: the county says all county-licensed residential rental units at least 23 years old are stabilized unless an exemption applies. A unit becomes covered on January 1 of its 23rd year after the “year built” in state tax records. A house built in 2002 became stabilized on January 1, 2025.
The rules for a regulated unit:
- One increase every 12 months.
- Increases only at renewal or a new lease. No mid-lease increases on multi-year leases.
- Written 90-day notice before the increase, for both regulated and exempt units, delivered by U.S. mail or in person with a signed receipt.
- Landlords of properties on the county’s Troubled or At-Risk Properties report can’t raise rent until that designation is lifted.
Not covered by the county program: units in the Cities of Gaithersburg, Rockville and Takoma Park and the Towns of Barnesville and Laytonsville. Exempt units are encouraged to follow the county’s Voluntary Rent Guideline, which is mandatory for MPDU units and other units under regulatory agreements. The county lists other exemptions on a separate page, so check before assuming a unit is covered or exempt.
More about the county itself is on our Montgomery County page.
Prince George’s County: 5.7% for 2026-27
Prince George’s County’s Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act of 2024 caps yearly increases on regulated units at the lower of 6% or CPI-U plus 3%, and at the lower of 4.5% or CPI-U for age-restricted senior housing. The county’s PRSA page lists these maximums, as of October 2026:
| Period | Regulated units | Regulated senior housing |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 17, 2024 to June 30, 2025 | 6.0% | 3.3% |
| July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 | 5.7% | 2.7% |
| July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 | 5.7% | 2.7% |
The exemptions matter a lot for individual owners. A unit is not regulated if, among other things:
- Its construction was completed on or after January 1, 2000.
- It’s owned by a landlord who owns five or fewer rental units in the county, if that landlord is a natural person or a living trust of one, or the trust or estate of someone who has died.
- It’s in a two-unit building where the owner lives in the other unit, or it’s an accessory dwelling unit.
- It’s a condominium owned by someone domiciled in the county, or a unit in a cooperative.
Exemptions last only as long as the conditions do. And even exempt owners have paperwork: the county says every landlord must file the PRSA Annual Reporting Form by September 30 each year, with a rent roll for regulated properties. You can check a property’s status in the county’s LookSee Property Explorer or ask through PGC311.
See our Prince George’s County page for more on the area.
Takoma Park and other cities
Takoma Park runs its own rent stabilization program, separate from Montgomery County’s, which is why the county excludes it. Gaithersburg and Rockville are also outside the county’s rent stabilization program. If the home is inside one of these city limits, contact the city’s housing office for the current allowance and notice rule before you send anything.
Writing a lawful increase notice
A notice that holds up should include:
- The tenant’s name and the property address.
- The current rent and the new rent, in dollars.
- The date the new rent takes effect, at least 90 days out for a lease longer than a month (check local rules for more).
- For a regulated unit in Montgomery or Prince George’s County, the percentage, and confirmation it is within that year’s allowance.
- Your name and contact information.
Send it by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing (or the tenant’s chosen electronic method), and in Montgomery County by U.S. mail or hand delivery with a signed receipt. Keep a copy and the mailing proof.
Setting renewal rent from comps
The legal cap is a ceiling, not a target. Before you set the new rent, look at what similar homes nearby actually leased for in the last few months. A tenant who renews saves you a vacant month, a turnover and a new tenant placement, which can outweigh a slightly higher rent. Our free rent analysis uses closed leases to show where the market is.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rent stabilization rules have exemptions and petitions not covered here, so talk to a Maryland attorney or the county housing office about a specific unit.
Bottom line
No statewide cap, but 90 days’ written notice for most leases, sent by mail with a certificate of mailing. Montgomery County: 5.2% max on stabilized units from July 2026, once a year, at renewal. Prince George’s County: 5.7% max on regulated units, with exemptions for newer buildings and small individual landlords, and an annual report for everyone. Cities like Takoma Park have their own numbers. For the bigger picture, see our Maryland landlord-tenant rules guide.
Sources
All checked October 26, 2026.
- Maryland Code, Real Property § 8-209 and § 8-208
- Maryland Attorney General, Landlord/Tenant Disputes
- Montgomery County DHCA, Rent Stabilization and Rent Stabilization Increases and Limitations
- Prince George’s County DPIE, Permanent Rent Stabilization and Protection Act (PRSA)