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Free Maryland Rental Application Form - Fill Online, Sign & Download the PDF

This Maryland rental application reflects the state's 2024 to 2026 tenant-protection overhaul, including the reduced one-month security-deposit cap, the deposit-interest formula, and fair-chance screening rules in Montgomery County and (from October 2026) statewide, so it leaves off a blanket criminal-history question. Fill it out below with plain-English help on every field, then sign and download your completed PDF free.

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Maryland rental application rules to know

•If a landlord charges any non-deposit fee over $25, they must refund the part not actually spent screening you, within 15 days, or owe you double the fee (Real Property § 8-213). Landlords with 4 or fewer units, and seasonal or condominium rentals, are exempt from this rule.
•A landlord must disclose whether they accept a reusable tenant screening report (one you paid for within the last 30 days), and if they accept yours, they cannot charge you an application fee (Real Property § 8-218).
•Security deposits are capped at 1 month's rent for leases signed on or after October 1, 2024, cut from 2 months by the Renters' Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024 (Real Property § 8-203). A 2-month deposit is allowed only in a narrow utility-assistance situation agreed to in writing.
•The landlord has 45 days after you move out to return the deposit with an itemized list of any deductions, and wrongfully withholding it can cost up to 3 times the amount plus your attorney's fees (Real Property § 8-203).
•Your deposit earns simple interest at the greater of 1.5 percent a year or the one-year U.S. Treasury rate, as long as it is held at least 6 months (Real Property § 8-203). The landlord must also give you a written receipt explaining your move-in and move-out inspection rights.
•Source of income is protected statewide under the HOME Act (2020, State Government § 20-705), so landlords generally cannot reject you just for paying with a Section 8 voucher. Beyond the federal classes, Maryland also protects marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and military status.
•Criminal history: Montgomery County already bars landlords from running a criminal or credit check before a conditional offer (Housing Justice Act, County Code § 27-15A). Starting October 1, 2026 the statewide Fair Chance Housing Act (SB 937) extends the criminal-history part of that rule across Maryland, but the bar on credit checks before a conditional offer stays Montgomery County only. This form omits a blanket criminal-history question, which can also create Fair Housing Act disparate-impact liability.
•Before you move in, a landlord may not collect more than the first month's rent plus one month's security deposit, and every residential lease must include the Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights (Renters' Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024).

Last reviewed 2026-07-15. General information, not legal advice.

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Filled in by the applicant based on the listing, or pre-filled by the landlord.

Property address*

Desired move-in date*

Monthly rent ($)

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Frequently asked questions

How much can a landlord charge for a rental application in Maryland?

Maryland does not set a flat fee cap, but any non-deposit fee above $25 must be refunded to the extent it was not actually spent on your credit check or screening, within 15 days, or the landlord owes double (Real Property § 8-213). If the landlord accepts a reusable screening report you already paid for, they cannot charge an application fee at all.

How big can a security deposit be in Maryland?

One month's rent for leases signed on or after October 1, 2024, reduced from two months by the Renters' Rights and Stabilization Act of 2024 (Real Property § 8-203). A two-month deposit is allowed only in a narrow case involving utility assistance, agreed to in writing.

When do I get my security deposit back in Maryland?

Within 45 days of moving out, with an itemized list of any deductions (Real Property § 8-203). If the landlord withholds it wrongfully, you can recover up to three times the amount kept plus reasonable attorney's fees.

Can a Maryland landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher?

No. The HOME Act (State Government § 20-705) makes source of income a protected class statewide, including housing vouchers, so a landlord generally cannot reject you simply because you would pay with Section 8. Several counties, including Montgomery, Howard, and Prince George's, protected it locally even before the 2020 state law.

Why doesn't this Maryland form ask about criminal history?

Montgomery County's Housing Justice Act (County Code § 27-15A) already forbids checking criminal or credit history before a conditional offer, and Maryland's statewide Fair Chance Housing Act (SB 937) extends the criminal-history part of that approach across the state starting October 1, 2026 (the credit-check limit stays Montgomery County only). Because criminal review must be deferred and individualized, a blanket criminal-history question does not belong on the application.

Do I earn interest on my security deposit in Maryland?

Yes, if the deposit is at least $50 and held for at least 6 months. It earns simple interest at the greater of 1.5 percent a year or the one-year U.S. Treasury rate (Real Property § 8-203), and the landlord must return it with the deposit, minus any lawful deductions.

More free landlord & tenant forms

For landlords: the tenant application form and the rental verification form.