--- title: "What Is Late fee? Landlord and Renter Glossary | Real Property Management Gold" description: "A late fee is a charge for rent paid after the due date. Maryland limits it to 5% of the unpaid rent for the rental period." url: https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/late-fee publisher: Real Property Management Gold phone: +1-301-392-2172 assessment: https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/contact-us#assessment --- Maryland Law # Late fee A late fee is a charge for rent paid after the due date. Maryland limits it to 5% of the unpaid rent for the rental period. 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](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/failure-to-pay-rent) case, which starts with a written [notice of intent to file](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/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. [Read nextMaryland Landlord-Tenant Law: The Rules Every Rental Owner Should Know](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/landlord-center/maryland-landlord-tenant-law) ## Related terms - [Failure to pay rent](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/failure-to-pay-rent) - [Notice of intent to file](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/notice-of-intent-to-file) - [Security deposit](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/glossary/security-deposit) ## Sources 1. [Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-208, Lease requirements](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-208&enactments=false) 2. [Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-208, Lease requirements](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-208&enactments=false) 3. [Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-208, Lease requirements](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-208&enactments=false) 4. [Maryland General Assembly: Real Property 8-208, Lease requirements](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=grp§ion=8-208&enactments=false) ## Ask what your home could rent for. Free. A free rental assessment from our offices in Lexington Park and Waldorf. No cost, no contract, no pressure. [Request a free assessment](https://realpmgold.multisites.ai/contact-us#assessment)[(301) 392-2172](tel:+13013922172)