ANNAPOLIS, Md — Anne Arundel County has joined a small group of Maryland counties in expanding tenant protections around evictions, giving both renters and landlords more time to navigate the process.
As of July 1, landlords in Anne Arundel County are now required to give tenants 14 days' notice before an eviction, up from the 6-day minimum allowed under Maryland state law. The county is now one of three in Maryland to have adopted the expanded notice period, alongside Howard County and Montgomery County.
Maryland attorney Tom Maronick said the change benefits both sides of the landlord-tenant relationship.
Anne Arundel County expands eviction notice period to 14 days, ending curbside evictions
"It's huge, it's humanizing for one thing. Landlords have the right to move forward with the eviction that is the legal right but to have a tenant who may have been there a long time who may have fallen on hard times to then see their property thrown out in the street in front of their neighbors free for anybody to go by and swipe it, its pretty terrible but for them to have a humanizing way in which they can leave the property in good measure, keep their property not worried about it being stolen, I think that is a very good thing."
The new law also effectively ends the practice of curbside evictions. Under the updated rules, a tenant's belongings generally remain inside the property during an eviction. Instead of placing items outside, the landlord changes the locks. Tenants then have a 24-hour window after the locks are changed to retrieve their belongings before the landlord may dispose of them.
Maronick said that the window raises concerns.
"But there is not a redemption period, and I think that is what made it so controversial. I would say there are concerns about whether or not the redemption period is going to be the same meaning that the time that someone would have to come in and be able to get their property back."
Several key elements of the eviction process remain unchanged. Landlords must still obtain a court judgment before evicting a tenant, and the sheriff's office remains responsible for carrying out evictions.
Maronick said he believes more Maryland counties should follow Anne Arundel's lead.
"I think that more counties should adopt a 14-day period, that way you have fewer problems, that way there is that finality, so I think it would be a good idea if more counties adopt it."
The full legislation can be read below:
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