Late fee

A late fee is a penalty written into the lease for rent that arrives after the due date. Maryland puts a ceiling on it. A lease may not provide for a late penalty above 5% of the amount of unpaid rent due for the rental period that was late. For example, on $2,000 of unpaid monthly rent, the most a lease can charge is $100. That figure is an illustration, not a statement about any specific home.

Weekly rent has its own limit: no more than $3 per week or $12 per month. As of October 2026, a lease clause that breaks these limits is unenforceable, and the tenant may recover actual damages and attorney's fees if a landlord tenders or tries to enforce it.

A late fee is separate from the legal steps for unpaid rent. If a tenant stays behind, the landlord may begin a failure to pay rent case, which starts with a written notice of intent to file.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the linked official source or talk to a Maryland attorney.