Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland landlord software
Manage historic rowhomes and modern apartments in Charm City. Navigate Baltimore City's specific rental regulations.
RentMouse keeps leases, rent, maintenance, documents and tenant communication for your Baltimore rentals in one workspace, with lease guidance linked to Maryland jurisdiction records. Review the applicable sources before relying on a draft.
Start free · Maryland rules and sources
Renting in Baltimore
Neighbourhoods landlords here manage: Fells Point, Canton, Federal Hill, Mount Vernon, Hampden, Charles Village.
Register yearly, licence with an inspection behind it
Baltimore treats registration and licensing as two different things. Non-owner-occupied property registers every year by 1 January, whether or not it is rented, occupied or earning anything. Licensing came in on 1 August 2018 and covers one- and two-family as well as multi-family rentals: to be licensed the property must be registered with the Department of Housing and Community Development and inspected by a state-licensed home inspector registered with the city, with the report filed within ninety days of the inspection for a new registration. An initial licence runs two years and later ones three.
Local sources
Checked 2026-09-08. Confirm the current requirements for your address with the responsible authority.
- Property Registration and Rental Licensing — Baltimore City
- Registration and licensing information sheet
- Baltimore City Code, Subtitle 5: Licensing of Rental Dwellings
Maryland rules that apply in Baltimore
- Security deposit limit
- 1 month's rent (2 months in limited utility-assistance cases)
- Deposit return / claim rule
- 45 days
- Deposit interest
- 1.5%/yr or 1-year Treasury rate; deposits held 6+ months
- Notice before entry
- No statutory requirement
- Ending a month-to-month
- 60 days written notice (RP 8-402); check local rules
- Notice before a rent increase
- 90 days for terms over 1 month; 60 days for shorter (RP 8-209)
- Late fees
- Max 5% of monthly rent ($3/week, $12/mo cap if weekly)
- Rent control
- None statewide; some counties have local rent stabilization
General information from Md. Real Property Article, Title 8 (Landlord and Tenant), last reviewed 2026-08-21; not legal advice. Municipal bylaws can add requirements. Sources are listed on the Maryland guide.
What RentMouse does for Baltimore landlords
- Properties & units — Each building and suite in one portfolio view, with occupancy, unit details and photos.
- Tenants & leases — Tenant records and lease terms attached to the right unit, with renewals surfaced before they arrive.
- Rent tracking — Monthly invoices, recorded payments, balances, overdue flags and reminders. Tenants keep paying you the way they already do.
- Maintenance — Requests with photos, priorities, vendors, dates and costs linked to the unit.
- Documents & e-signing — Jurisdiction-aware lease drafts from guided templates, sent for electronic signature and filed with the tenancy.
- Tenant portal — Optional, free for tenants: their tenancy details, invoices, shared documents and maintenance requests.
- Landlord website — A branded page at rentmouse.com/your-business that advertises vacant units, collects rental inquiries and doubles as the tenant sign-in.
Other Maryland cities
Columbia · Frederick · Gaithersburg · Germantown · Rockville · Silver Spring · Waldorf