Maryland Notice of Intent to File Complaint for Rent Nonpayment

Notice of Intent

When a tenant is delinquent on the rent, the landlord may pursue an eviction process and and try to recover through a court judgment. Before filing a legal action with the District Court for failure to pay rent, the landlord must inform the tenant of their intent to do so by delivering formal written notice to the tenant. The notice must specify the amount of unpaid rent and provide the tenant 10 days to make payment in full. Landlords should must use a statutorily valid notice form when providing this notice.

Filing the Case

After the landlord has delivered valid notice of past due rent to the tenant, the landlord may file the Maryland official form DC-CV-082 with the county District Court in which the rental property is located.

Serving the Tenant

After the landlord files the case has with the District Court (called a "Complaint for Summary Ejectment"), the tenant must be notified of the proceedings. This notification process is called "service of process." The District Court, sheriff, or constable can mail copies of the papers to the tenant and post them on the property, or the landlord can request that the sheriff or constable personally serve the tenant for an administrative fee. Private process servers are also available to serve the papers on the tenant.

Trial

On the day of the trial, if either the landlord or the tenant fails to attend, the court may choose to dismiss the case, render a judgment, or reschedule the trial. If both parties are present, the judge will hear testimony and review evidence from both sides. If the judge issues a judgment favoring the landlord, the court order possession of the property revert to the landlord.

Baltimore City Requirements

Please note that Baltimore City has specific notice requirements that must be followed.

After Judgment

After the court enters a judgment for possession, the tenant loses the right to live in the property.