For the first time in Maryland history, landlords now have a legally mandated set of rules for entering a rental property they own. Before October 1, 2025, Maryland state law was nearly silent on this issue — entry rules were left to individual lease agreements, and many landlords didn’t think twice about dropping by a property without much notice.

That changed with new amendments to Maryland’s landlord-tenant code that took effect in October 2025. Now, whether you own one property in Hampden or a portfolio of units across Baltimore County, Maryland’s landlord entry notice requirements spell out exactly when you can enter, how much notice you must give, and what form that notice must take — with legal consequences if you don’t comply.

What Maryland Law Now Requires for Landlord Entry

Under the updated Maryland landlord-tenant statute, landlords must meet all of the following requirements before entering a tenant-occupied rental property:

Why Self-Managing Baltimore Landlords Are Most at Risk

The landlords most exposed under these new Maryland landlord entry notice requirements are those managing their own properties without a professional team. It’s easy to fall into habits — texting a tenant that morning, stopping by on a Sunday afternoon, sending your contractor over without a heads-up. None of those practices are legal anymore under Maryland law.

In Baltimore City and Baltimore County, tenant awareness of their legal rights has increased significantly over the past several years. The Maryland Tenants’ Bill of Rights — which landlords are now required to distribute at every lease signing — explicitly informs tenants of their right to proper notice before entry. A tenant who knows their rights and documents an improper entry by their landlord has a legitimate legal grievance.

The Practical Checklist: Staying Compliant in 2026

Here’s what every Baltimore landlord needs to implement now to comply with Maryland’s new entry notice law:

1. Update Your Lease Agreement

Make sure your current lease language reflects the new Maryland standard — 24-hour written notice, permitted hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and entry only for permitted purposes. If your lease template was drafted before October 2025, assume it needs revision. Sungate updated all its lease agreements before the law took effect — this is the kind of behind-the-scenes compliance work that self-managing landlords often miss.

2. Document Every Entry Notice

Text messages can constitute “written notice,” but they’re also easy to dispute. The safest approach is a dated, timestamped email or written notice delivered at least 24 hours before entry. Keep a log. If a tenant later claims improper entry, your paper trail is your defense.

3. Brief Your Contractors and Maintenance Team

Your obligations extend to anyone entering on your behalf. If your plumber shows up unannounced because you forgot to send notice, you — not the plumber — bear the legal liability. Build a protocol: no vendor enters a tenant-occupied property without confirmation that the required notice was sent and received.

4. Get Written Agreement for Any Exceptions

If you and a tenant agree to entry outside permitted hours — say, an early morning HVAC inspection or a Saturday evening showing — get that agreement in writing. A text confirmation works, but an email is better. Without documentation, the standard rules apply, and Sunday entry is simply off the table.

What Counts as “Written Notice” Under Maryland Law

Maryland’s statute does not require a formal letter — written notice under the new law can include email, text message, or any other written communication that creates a timestamped record. However, there are a few practical considerations Baltimore landlords should keep in mind.

First, the notice must be received at least 24 hours before entry — not just sent. If you email a tenant at 8 p.m. and schedule entry for 9 a.m. the next morning, that may not meet the 24-hour threshold. Second, the notice should state the purpose of entry and the approximate time. Vague notices (“coming by tomorrow”) are legally weaker than specific ones (“Maintenance visit for HVAC filter inspection, Thursday May 21st, between 10 a.m. and noon”). Third, if a tenant regularly misses emails or texts, build in a buffer. Sending notice 36–48 hours in advance gives you room if there’s any question about receipt.

The standard also matters for showings. If your property is coming up on lease expiration and you need to show it to prospective tenants, you cannot simply schedule back-to-back showings on a Saturday without proper notice to the current tenant. Each showing window requires compliant notice — which is another reason professional coordination matters more as Baltimore’s rental market becomes more legally complex.

The Bigger Picture: Maryland Is Tightening Landlord Compliance

The new landlord entry notice law is part of a broader trend. Over the past two years, Maryland has enacted the Renters’ Rights and Stabilization Act (October 2024), updated security deposit caps, revised eviction timelines, mandated the Tenants’ Bill of Rights distribution at every lease signing, and now codified landlord entry rules. Baltimore City has layered on the Strengthening Renters’ Safety Act (January 2026), which overhauled rental licensing tiers and added priority dwelling designations for high-violation properties.

Each of these changes carries its own compliance requirements. Taken together, they represent a significant increase in the legal complexity of owning rental property in Baltimore — and a corresponding increase in the risk exposure for landlords who aren’t staying current. What worked in 2022 is not necessarily compliant today.

This is precisely the environment where working with a professional property manager pays for itself. Sungate’s Compliance Analyst, Sergio Ramirez, tracks every regulatory change affecting Baltimore City and County rental properties and updates Sungate’s lease agreements, procedures, and owner advisories accordingly. Owners don’t need to read the Maryland Register — they need to know it’s being read on their behalf.