Lease renewal

A lease renewal keeps a good tenant in place for another term. It can be a new signed lease, or an extension of the old one. Renewals save you the cost and vacancy of finding a new tenant, so they are worth planning early.

Two Maryland rules matter. If the rent will rise, a landlord must give written notice at least 90 days ahead for most tenancies longer than one month. See rent increase notice. Also, a lease that renews itself automatically must set that clause apart and get the tenant's initials, signature or witnessed mark. Without that, the landlord cannot enforce the automatic renewal. As of October 2026, both rules are in the Maryland Real Property code.

Pick the new rent from current market rent, not guesswork. A small increase for a reliable tenant is often cheaper than a month of vacancy. Our guide to Maryland rent increase rules explains timing.

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