Do this today
- Keep the increase letter.
- Check whether your lease is still in term.
- Ask Baltimore City DHCD whether a local ordinance covers this address.
Does Baltimore cap rent increases?
Not as a national rule, and not as a rumor. Coverage is an address-and-housing-type question. Baltimore City and Baltimore County are different governments. Use the City DHCD stack only if the unit is in the City. Ask Baltimore City DHCD. Then read Maryland Real Property landlord and tenant title for the Maryland floor.
What if I am still in a lease term?
A lease still in term is not the same as month-to-month. The letter in your hand may be a renewal offer, a notice, or something that does not apply yet. Keep it. Do not treat a blog percentage as the law.
What extra rules does Baltimore City have?
Maryland is the floor. Baltimore City has added local rental-licensing and tenant-protection rules. Housing and 311 are the City doors. District Court hears rent court / failure-to-pay cases. Baltimore County is a different government.
The Baltimore layer
Baltimore City and Baltimore County are different governments. Use the City DHCD stack only if the unit is in the City.
Maryland Real Property landlord and tenant title (Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-101 to 8-604) is the Maryland floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
Baltimore questions
Can my landlord in Baltimore raise the rent whenever they want?
Not while a fixed term is running, in most places — and some Baltimore units have extra local rules. Baltimore City and Baltimore County are different governments. Use the City DHCD stack only if the unit is in the City. Confirm coverage with Baltimore City DHCD.
Where do I check if my building is covered?
Baltimore City DHCD. Coverage is an address question. A neighbor’s building is not your building. Maryland Real Property landlord and tenant title is still the Maryland floor.
What extra rules does Baltimore City have?
Maryland is the floor. Baltimore City has added local rental-licensing and tenant-protection rules. Housing and 311 are the City doors. District Court hears rent court / failure-to-pay cases. Baltimore County is a different government.
What number should I call in Baltimore?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. Baltimore City DHCD does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org